High Maintenance
by BLuIcy
Summary: "There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment." AU Caryl story.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! After the love I received for We Danced I decided to go ahead and post this one, its a chapter fic. I cant promise updates all the time as I am a slow writer but I have some great ideas for this little story so I hope y'all stick around to see where we go! **

**I know several of you asked me to keep going with We Danced, I tried to play with it to see where I could take it. But in the end I just really liked how it ended. So for now Im gonna keep it as a one-shot maybe one day I will change my mind :)**

**My undying love and thanks go out to Englishpoet18 and Halohunter89 without them I don't think I would ever have a piece worth posting 3 you ladies! **

**I do not own the Walking Dead, nor do I own the summary that was all my dear, sweet Halohunter89 :) **

"SON OF A BITCH!"

Daryl surveyed the mess left at the pool. Management had told him the pool was being used by a resident for a _small_ get together, that there may be a bit of trash for him to collect in the morning. But fuck, this looked like a garbage truck had thrown up. It was gonna take him most of the morning to clean up this mess. As if he didn't have anything better to do such as the leak in 4E, a busted dryer in the laundry mat...

When Daryl had taken this job he thought he had hit pay dirt. On-site maintenance manager, no one to really answer to, just slips in his box that told him what jobs he had for the day. It even came with his own place on property, but this job was starting to grate on his last nerve. Making his way to the storage shed to pull out some trash bags, Daryl began the arduous task of cleaning up the mess.

The morning was quiet, most of the tenants had headed out to work or whatever other tasks they had planned for the day. Daryl felt most of his anger over the mess at the pool begin to fade. Being outdoors with the weather being so perfect, warm but with the right amount of breeze to keep it from being unbearable had definitely helped put Daryl in a much better mood. He was enjoying the silence as well. After last night he welcomed it to help him focus. Merle had come stomping into the apartment drunk around two with whomever he had managed to pick up, making all kinds of racket. Daryl had finally given up on sleep around four, opting instead to head into the small wooded area behind the complex. It wasn't good for hunting but it did help when he needed to get away and couldn't get away to his normal hunting grounds.

Carol sighed. She had finally gotten the mess inside her apartment cleaned up. It had taken her entire morning, but her home was finally clean. She didn't even want to think about the mess that had been left outside.

Just a small party to celebrate your birthday, Ed had told her. Just a few close friends, food, and some drinks. Carol had been excited at first, thinking Ed was finally listening to her. In the days leading up to the party she had been entertaining thoughts of maybe their relationship getting back on track. Lately, she had been feeling like she was the only one putting any effort into this relationship. Ed had been spending more and more time at her place. At first she had welcomed it, thinking they might be taking the next step in their relationship but he never once offered to help with rent or help out with the cleaning. She had tried on a few occasions to bring this up, but it only ended up causing arguments that never seemed to get anywhere. After nearly a year together, Carol was growing tired of the childish manner in which Ed acted. She told herself she was just waiting for an excuse to dump Ed, and now after the events of last night she had a pretty damn good one.

Glancing at her watch, Carol groaned. Ed was still dead asleep and most likely wouldn't be awake for another hour. _Great_, Carol thought, _Just in time for him to demand lunch. _Grabbing the box of trash bags, Carol headed outside.

Daryl looked up when he heard the soft _pop_ of the seal on an apartment door crack open. Moments later he saw the women who lived in 6C step out, her eyes shielded by her sunglasses. Daryl had seen her around from time to time, she was one of the few residents that actually acknowledged his presence when she saw him. They never said a single word to one another, just a wave, nod, or in her case a smile. Daryl watched as she pulled a trash bag from the box she had set on the table. Giving a few flicks of her wrist she opened it and began picking up the trash near the grill. He figured she hadn't even noticed him. It wasn't until Daryl let the beer bottle he had been holding drop into the new bag, the bottle cracking when it hit the bottom, that she even looked in his direction. For a moment they just stared at one another. She was the first to break contact, to come closer to Daryl.

"I am so sorry, Daryl. You shouldn't have to clean up my mess." Carol said, "I know you must be busy." To say Daryl was shocked would have been an understatement. He had no idea anyone here even knew his name. Grunting, Daryl bent to pick up another red solo cup. For a while they worked in silence together, Daryl struggled the whole time to come up with something, anything to say. Merle had always teased that he was no good with conversation, especially with women.

"What were y'all celebrating?" Daryl blurted out suddenly.

Startled, Carol sighed, she had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she had nearly forgotten Daryl was even there with her. "It was suppose to be a small gathering, for my birthday, just a few friends." Shrugging, Carol looked around the pool seeing the trash littered all around, "It didn't end up that way," she murmured.

That actually got a slight chuckle from Daryl. Merle was notorious for being able to turn any situation into a party.

"Yer friends get out of control?" Daryl asked.

Carol shook her head ,"Not my friends" she responded, "Ed, my...boyfriend...he made the night more about him, his friends." Daryl could tell she seemed upset, he did not know how to respond so he just offered her a nod. He wasn't good at talking to people but women in general were worse. He looked over at her and she was frowning picking up the trash from what was supposed to be her birthday party. "Happy birthday."

Carol looking up at him and smiled brightly, "Thank you Daryl."

After a few moments it became clear to Carol that, that was the end of the conversation she just smiled and continued on with the clean up. She looked over at him as he continued picking up and worked quicker trying to help out as much as she could. Ed hadn't even bothered to tell her happy birthday.

After a few moments it became clear to Carol that that was the end of the conversation so she just smiled and continued on with the clean up. Daryl was relieved when she didn't push to continue the conversation. He was surprised to find that working alongside her had actually been comfortable and no where near as awkward as he initially thought it would be. He figured she would be like most women and try to chat his ear off. He had been grateful for the silence but after awhile it was starting to get to him. He was struggling to come up with something to say, he thought of asking for her name...

"CAROL!"

Looking in the direction the shout had come from, Daryl took in the man standing just outside 6C's door. He was tall, nearly as tall as Merle. He had some weight to him but no real muscle that Daryl could tell. It seemed like at one point maybe in high school he had been athletic, but had since let himself go. He looked angry, his dark eyes scanning the parking lot before moving over to the pool. He quickly dismissed Daryl, continuing his scan until his sight landed on the grill area. Daryl looked at the woman; she looked tense, annoyed even. Tying up the trash bag, Daryl watched the woman, _Carol,_ he thought head back over to her apartment. He couldn't hear what they were saying to one another, but he watched as she gestured to the pool and then back to her apartment.

The man, her boyfriend..._Ed_, Daryl reasoned, looked bored with the conversation. Ed brought his arms up, placing them on Carol shoulders. To Daryl it looked like he might be pulling her in for a hug but he didn't. Instead he just steered her inside the apartment, the door slamming shut behind them.

**Well? What do you think? **


	2. Chapter 2

**Good Evening All! I am so happy with the wonderful reviews I received for the first chapter, seriously made my heart smile :) Before y'all jump into reading first just let me say the beginning is a flashback of sorts to the night of the party. I hope its not to confusing for anyone lol. I would have had this chapter out last night, but I was so stuck on the ending. I had a clear view on how I wanted it to go but I just could not get it to flow. But! Thanks to the wonderful, amazing and talented EnglishPoet18 the ending is perfect now. So if you love it as much as I do let her know, seriously I cant wait for y'all to read it she blew it out of the park for me :) **

**So without further ado, I give you chapter 2!**

_My damn birthday and I am the one that is miserable_, Carol thought. Continuing her scan of the crowd, her eyes finally landed on Ed. Carol let out a soft growl. This was his doing and she wasn't going to just let him get away with it, not without a fight. He never listened to her, but tonight after everyone was gone she was going to give him a what for.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder Carol turned, taking in the very stunned face of Maggie Greene, her very nearest and dearest friend. It was clear that Maggie had just come from work, still dressed in the red Buy More polo. She even had her _Hello! My name is Maggie_ tag on. It was then that Carol noticed the bottle of wine and the birthday cake she had asked Maggie to bring. In her excitement, Carol had indulged and ordered herself a fancy cake from the Buy More bakery. After all, you only turn twenty-nine once.

"I thought your party was tonight?" Maggie asked, her eyes still wide in shock. Looking back to Maggie, Carol finally let the tears she had been holding back flow freely. Quickly Maggie set the wine and cake to the table, dropping down closer to Carol as she wrapped her arms around her friend.

"I'm sorry hon." Shaking her head, Carol wiped her face with the back of her hands, giving Maggie a watery smile. "You should head home, Mags. Its late, and I am not much in the mood for company right now," Carol said.

Nodding, Maggie gave one last look around before turning her gaze back to Carol, "You sure? I don't mind." Carol hummed, her eyes hardening as she finally located Ed in the throngs of people. Standing, Carol brushed her hands against her shorts, giving Maggie a small smile, "Yeah, Im sure."

Stalking over to the patio table Ed was currently at, engaged in what appeared to be an arm wrestling match, her attention was momentarily shifted to the other man at the table. He was huge, all muscle. Carol was pretty sure he wasn't a friend of Ed's, at least not one she had met. She was pretty sure she had seen him around from time to time, mostly in the company of the maintenance man, in fact Carol was fairly certain they were related.

The table erupted in hoots and hollers and focusing back on the table, Carol watched Ed's face begin to turn red. He was straining to hold his own against the other man. His arm was beginning to shake with the strain. Moments later, Carol heard the thunk of flesh hitting the plastic table.

"Woohoo! looks like I win the pot," The large man said jumping up from the table, a wide grin plastered on his face. Ed sneered, shaking out his left hand. Popping his knuckles, he let out a soft chuckle, "Yer the first man to beat me in a long while, Dixon." The man nodded as he thumbed through the stack of bills he had collected from the table. "First time for everything," he said with a smirk.

Carol was furious, making eye contact with Ed she shook her head. Storming away from the table she headed back into the apartment. Taking in the mess her hands clenched and she felt more tears welling up. Taking a few deep breaths, Carol tried to force down the sob that was threatening to rip from her. Hearing someone coming up behind her, Carol spun around, her anger mounting as she looked Ed over, beer in hand. He looked as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"You have no idea how angry I am with you right now," Carol said. Ed snorted, "What the hell you so upset about?"

Carol sputtered. What_ the hell was she so upset about, really? _"This was _my_ birthday, and you've ruined it!" Carol shouted. Her head swiveled around to keep Ed in her sights as he pushed past her heading into the kitchen, laughing as he passed. "If you'd had your way this night woulda been boring as shit," Ed said, reaching into the fridge pulling out another beer and flicking the top into the sink.

Carol opened her mouth, ready to let lose all her frustration at Ed that she had let build up over the last few months. Before Carol could even get a word out Ed help up his hand, cutting off whatever Carol was about to say. "I ain't in the mood to listen to your bitching and moaning right now," Ed growled. "Just lost a shit ton of money and your yacking ain't gonna help." Livid, Carol stomped over to Ed, knocking the beer from his hand, the bottle shattering as it made impact with the kitchen counter. For several heartbeats, silence filled the room. Carol had never reacted in that manner before, but here she was acting just as childish as she was about to accuse Ed of being. Taking a step back Carol raised her eyes to Ed, ready to apologize. It happened so fast. It wasn't until the pain exploded on her left cheek and her head whipped to the right that she even registered Ed had hit her...hard.

* * *

Dipping the knife into the mustard and swirling, Carol slathered it on to the bread, last night and this morning's events replaying over and over in her head. After Ed had hit her, he had stormed off into the bedroom and she hadn't seen him for the rest of the night, opting instead to sleep on the couch. She had used the morning clean up as a way to distract herself from what had happened. If she was being honest with herself, she had no idea how to react to the hit. She was angry and shocked and she had never been afraid of Ed before, but now being stuck in the apartment with him was making her tense.

Finishing up the sandwich, she cut it and placed it on a plate with a handful of chips. Grabbing a soda from the fridge, Carol headed into the living room with Ed's lunch. Her cheek throbbed as she took him in sitting slouched on the couch, some sporting event on the TV, and his feet propped up on the coffee table. Carol thought about Ed's apology. He had blamed it on the booze and his anger over losing money. He swore it would never happen again, that it was a one-time thing. Then he had asked her to fix him something to eat. _No,_ she thought,_ he didn't ask, he told me._

It was then that Carol realized that she had let Ed off the hook, that she hadn't even put up a fight. She had accepted the apology and moved on to do as he had told her.

Carol plopped the plate down onto the coffee table with a loud thunk. Ed's eyes drifted over to her, finally acknowledging that she had even entered the room. He narrowed his eyes at her obvious attitude and shfited to lean forward. "Problem?" He snapped. That did it. Carol snapped. Placing her hands onto her hips, she mustered up every last bit of courage and strength that she could. "Get out," She said. Ed's eyebrows lifted in surprise, "What?" "Do not make me repeat it Ed. We're done. This is _my_ place and I want you out," Carol said firmly. Ed slowly stood and regarded her quietly, as if trying to figure out if she was serious or not. She kept her gaze steady and her expression firm. "Carol-" "Get out!" Carol screamed at the top of her lungs. Ed jumped a little at her sudden shout, but then he shook his head and began to move about, grabbing up his things and muttering to himself. Carol tensed as he brushed past her, but he didn't touch her like she expected. She held her body rigid as she listened to him move about in the other room, gathering his things no doubt. Ed paused at the door like he was going to say something, but instead he just opened the door and walked out, slamming it shut behind him.

Carol finally let her body relax and she sat down on the couch. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she felt pretty good about her decision overall. Satisfied with herself, she picked up the plate containing the sandwich that she had made for Ed and took a bite. Grabbing the remote, she turned the TV to a show that she liked and settled back onto the couch. It felt good to have her place back and the sandwich was just the icing on the cake.

**Did you like it?! Reviews?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Good evening everyone! I am sorry it has taken me this long to get this chapter out, really wasn't my intention. Work has just been super crazy the last week and a half. This chapter so did not happen the way I had planned out, but in a good way. Instead of this being a short conversation it turned into something longer and well you will see. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter, were moving along here. **

**My biggest thanks of course go out to EnglishPoet18, she is so awesome! **

Flipping through the stack of today's slips of jobs, Daryl sighed when he landed on one for Mrs. Wilson. The old bat always had something that needed to be fixed whether it was broken or not. He figured she was just lonely, that she didn't get many visitors, but she drove Daryl crazy with all her little phantom complaints. He might as well take care of Mrs. Wilson first, he thought. This way if she got to be too much he could use the excuse of other jobs to get away from her.

Starting off in the direction of her apartment, Daryl continued to look through the other slips, pausing in his walk when his eyes landed on a request from 6C. Carol wanted her locks changed. It had been several days since they had cleaned up some of the pool together, but he would find himself lingering for a few minutes whenever he passed by her apartment, hoping for a chance to run into her, or maybe just a glimpse. Deciding that Mrs. Wilson could wait, Daryl switched directions, heading towards Carol's apartment instead.

Daryl stood outside of Carol's door and in fact he had been standing there for several minutes because he was nervous. He cursed himself all week for basically acting like a stalker. Now that he had an opportunity to see her and talk to her he was acting like a nervous teenager. Daryl raised his hand to her door, knocking loudly. He could hear her moving around, the sounds getting louder the closer she got to the door. Taking a deep breath and giving himself a mental shake he wiped his hands on his jeans, his grip on his tool box tightening. He took a step back just as her door swung open.

* * *

Carol was enjoying her lazy morning before her closing shift tonight and the last several days had been wonderful. It had been peaceful, something she didn't even know she had been missing. After a few days of not hearing from Ed, something that had surprised her, she had gone to the dealership to drop off the remaining items he had forgotten to grab when she had kicked him out. She had hoped they could both be adults about the break-up, but when she had arrived asking for him, he had refused to come out. She ended up just leaving the small box in the lot for him to collect whenever he felt like it. She had completely cleansed her life of Ed, there was just one more thing she needed to have taken care of.

Four days after their break up, she had realized that Ed still had her spare key. She thought of calling him and asking for it back, but after the way he acted when she dropped off his stuff she didn't think it was worth it. She opted instead to just have her locks changed. It was last night, ironically when she was putting her key into the lock, that she realized Daryl would be the one who would come to change her locks. He intrigued her and even before they had ever spoken with each other, she had found him fascinating.

In the year and a half she had been living here, she had seen him snap at other tenants for wrecking something or another, heard him cuss up a storm when something wasn't going right. But mostly she had noticed how shy he was, how he seemed uncomfortable talking with others. She had been shocked when he had spoken with her at the pool, even more so when he had been sweet, wishing her a happy birthday.

Packing up the last of her dinner Carol heard a sharp knock, and glancing at the door she smiled.

Daryl fidgeted, switching his toolbox to his right hand. He looked up when he heard the door open and Carol's voice, "Good morning, Daryl."

"Mornin'," Daryl responded, "I'm here to change ya locks," he said, lifting his toolbox about hip high.

Carol gave him a smile and a slight nod of her head, "Great! Do you need to leave the door open to do it?" She asked, taking a step back and motioning for Daryl to enter.

Giving her a nod, Daryl set his toolbox down and took a moment to look about her apartment. Even though her place looked exactly like every other unit layout wise, Carol's place was filled with splashes of color everywhere. It made the small apartment appear to be bigger, more homey than the other units he had visited.

"Would you like something to drink? I just made some sweet tea," Carol asked, glancing over her shoulder as she headed back towards the kitchen.

Giving her a nod Daryl dropped to his knees, dragging the toolbox closer he removed the new lock and a screwdriver.

He heard Carol set the glass of tea on to the coffee table. Giving a quick nod of his head Daryl set to work opening the packaging on the new lock. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Carol moved about her kitchen, wiping counters and putting items back into her fridge.

Carol was trying to stay busy. Silence had settled in the apartment, apart from the soft clink of metal on metal as Daryl removed the pins from the old lock. Once again, just like at the pool the silence wasn't awkward, but very comfortable.

Carol found herself sneaking more and more glances at Daryl. He was definitely attractive with those denim blue eyes and shaggy brown hair. He had a body that most certainly did not come from spending hours at the gym, but was more likely from years of hard work. Carol was so caught up in her appraisel of Daryl that she hadn't realized until she heard Daryl clear his throat, that she had been openly staring at him.

"Shouldn't take me too much longer," Daryl said.

Flushing and embarrassed that she had been caught staring, she gave him a warm smile, ducking her head slightly, "It's okay. Take your time, I don't have anywhere to be till five."

Shrugging, Daryl popped out the old deadbolt, "Gotta ask," he said, "For the office...They're gonna wanna know why you need the locks changed."

Taking a seat on the couch, Carol let out a loud sigh, "My ex has my spare key and I don't want him thinking he can just show up here whenever," she said. That caught Daryl's attention. Pausing, he shifted on his knees so he could see her better, "The one that ruined your birthday?" he asked.

Chuckling, Carol nodded, "Yup! I kicked him out later that day by the way. I am sorry, I meant to come back out and finish the clean up."

"It's okay, wasn't much left anyways," Daryl murmured. Bringing his thumb up to his mouth he gnawed at the skin. He looked down at the generic brown carpet, but after a few moments he brought his eyes back to Carol. "Your ex...you think he gonna come back?"

Snorting, Carol shook her head, "I have no idea what he is capable of anymore, never thought he would hit me but.." Slapping a hand over her mouth she felt horrified. She hadn't meant to say that and she didn't want anyone to know.

Daryl's eyes narrowed at that. Standing up he moved over to the couch, his eyes searching hers. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a business card which he handed to Carol.

"This is got my cell on it. Suppose to be for emergencies, but I want ya to call me if the bastard shows up again," Daryl said.

Shaking her head, Carol attempted to give Daryl back the card, "No. Thank you Daryl, really. But Ed isn't your problem and I doubt he will even come around, but if he does I'll just call the cops."

Gently grabbing her wrist, Daryl closed her fingers over the card, "I'm closer, can get here quicker than the cops," he said.

Carol could not believe this man, he barely knew her but here he was offering to come to her rescue should she need it. For a man that looked so rough around the edges he was turning out to be one of the sweetest she had ever met. Giving him a smile, she used her free hand to take the card and tuck it into her back pocket.

"Okay Daryl, you will be my first call," Carol said, still grinning at him.

Several moments passed before Daryl realized that he was still holding onto Carol's wrist. All he could think about was how soft and warm her skin was. His mind was screaming at him to let go, that he was acting like a creep. Finally he dropped her wrist. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the new set of keys, placing them in her palm.

"That should do it then," Daryl said as he picked up his tools and the bit of trash, stashing it inside his toolbox to be tossed away later.

Carol crossed in front of him. Opening the door, she flipped the lock back and forth a few times, a smile on her face. Stepping outside, Daryl watched with an amused smile on his face as Carol flipped the lock a few times.

She looked up, smiling at him, "Thank you, Daryl. I appreciate this."

"Didn't do nothing special, just a quick lock change," Daryl said.

Laughing, her eyes shining brightly, Carol shook her head, "I wasn't talking about the locks."

**Review? Maybe...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Good Evening! I am so proud of myself right now, I said I was going to get this one out tonight and I am 6 minutes shy of midnight. So yay! for me :) I like this chapter, a lot. I am actually taking a page from Englishpoet18 in this chapter. **

**As always my biggest thanks to Englishpoet18, she is what makes this fic bearable to read LOL. Have a great weekend everybody! **

Daryl sighed as he tossed the black hefty bag into the back of the old blue pickup, moving some of the heavier items around so that it would be secure. He had been in such a good mood all morning since he had left Carol's apartment. At least until Merle had come to him, telling him he had changed his plans and was leaving today instead of Monday.

"Still pissed, little brother?"

Daryl shook his head, looking at Merle. "Ain't pissed," Daryl replied.

Merle snorted, leaning against the hood of the truck, a chuckle escaping, "Gonna miss me Darylina?" He asked.

Reaching into his shirt pocket, Daryl pulled out a cigarette. Lighting it, he took a long drag letting the nicotine flow through his system. For several minutes the two brothers just stared at each other until finally Merle pushed himself away from the truck, heading back into the apartment.

Daryl would never admit it to Merle, but he was pissed. When Merle had been released from prison after his second strike, Daryl made him move into the apartment.

He wanted to be able to keep an eye on him, and up till a few months ago things had been decent. But when the factory closed and Merle had been unable to find another job, Daryl began to notice how bored Merle was and a bored Merle just led to trouble. So when Chuck, an old army buddy of Merle's called offering him a construction job, Daryl had been all for it until he found out the job was in Atlanta. Daryl was worried. Merle may be an asshole, but he was still his brother and the only family that Daryl had left. Even though Chuck swore to look out for Merle, Daryl just didn't trust anyone but himself to keep his brother out of trouble. Daryl knew he couldn't spend the rest of his life essentially babysitting Merle though. It wouldn't be fair to either of them.

Hearing the front door bang open, Daryl nodded at Merle, "Just make sure you keep your ass in line," He said, "Ain't driving all the way up there to bail yer ass outta jail."

"Don't be worrying about me little brother," Merle said, "Have yourself some fun, loosen up, get'cha dick wet or something while I'm gone."

Daryl's cheeks flushed at Merle's words, "Fuck you," He said.

Cackling, Merle shoved himself away from the truck, slapping Daryl on the back as he passed. Climbing into the truck Merle eyed Daryl, giving him a nod as he turned the key over, the truck engine roaring to life.

Daryl watched as Merle drove away. Pulling out another cigarette, Daryl headed back towards the apartment intending on grabbing up his tools and burying himself in some work for the next few hours.

* * *

Carol dropped into the office chair. Damn, she hated double coupon days. You would think the world was ending the way they were swarmed. Her feet were killing her and on top of that she was pretty sure she was going to have blisters. Sinking down further into the chair, Carol closed her eyes letting out a loud sigh, stretching from her fingers all the way to her toes. She could not wait to get home and take a hot shower. Maybe she would even open that bottle of wine.

A loud banging noise brought Carol out of her musings. Spinning in the chair towards the door, she saw Maggie through the little window. Catching her eye, Maggie nodded her head, her eyes glancing down. Carol knew what she wanted. Chuckling, Carol made a show of slowly pulling herself from the chair and slowly making her way to the door. She laughed loudly when she saw the scowl Maggie was giving her.

Pulling the door open, Maggie pushed past Carol holding three register tills. Giving a glance in Carol's direction, Maggie huffed out a half-hearted "bitch", which just sent Carol into another fit of giggles.

"You have been in a awfully good mood tonight," Maggie observed.

Snatching a till, Carol plopped back down in the chair she had previously occupied, choosing to ignore Maggie for the moment. She began counting the money instead. She had been in a excellent mood all night, and at first she had contributed her good mood to her locks being changed, to finally being rid of Ed in all aspects. But the more she had thought back to this morning, the more she began to suspect it had less to do with the locks themselves being changed, but more so with the person who changed them.

Daryl was something of a surprise to her. Her whole life she had only known loud men. Her father, uncles, and Ed had all been loud and brash, but Daryl was different. He was quiet, more reserved and sweet. She had been blown away when he had given her his card offering her protection. She couldn't think of any other time when a stranger had been so kind. It didn't hurt that the man was gorgeous, all lean muscle and tan skin. Carol had a terrible time keeping her eyes off of him.

Carol was pulled from her musings by a sharp nudge from Maggie, "You still with me?" Maggie asked.

Giving a slow nod of her head, Carol scooped up another bundle of bills to be counted.

"So," Maggie asked, "What did you do with your morning?"

Carol offered up a small shrug, "Not much...some cooking and cleaning."

Maggie snorted, "Ain't never seen you in such a state after cooking and cleaning."

Carol laughed at that, "Well, Daryl did come by this morning and change my locks. Guess I am just happy to have that taken care of."

Maggie's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline, her attention now one hundred percent on Carol, "Daryl? Who's Daryl?" She asked excitedly.

Sighing, Carol knew she had been caught. Maggie was never going to let it go until she heard every single little detail.

"He is just the maintenance guy at my apartment," She said.

Maggie hummed as she stood, heading to the safe, "And you call him Daryl?"

Carol rolled her eyes, swiveling in her chair, "It's his name, what else am I suppose to call him?"

"Hon, I have been living in my apartment for three years now and I cant even tell you what my maintenance guy even looks like, let alone his name."

Carol didn't even know how to respond to that one, but Maggie didn't even miss a beat, "So, is he hot?" She asked.

* * *

Pulling herself from her car, Carol groaned. She couldn't wait for that hot shower. Digging through her hobo bag in search of her house key, her attention was completely diverted as she made her way towards her apartment. She had just managed to snatch her key when she slammed into a solid wall of flesh causing her to stumble back. Gasping, Carol looked up, an apology already on the tip of her tongue until she realized just who she had bumped into.

Holding her keys tight in her grip, Carol took a deep breath and stood straight, her eyes locking onto Ed's, "What are you doing here?"

Carol was proud of the tone of her voice and the fact that her voice only shook slightly. Ed's hand shot out gripping her bicep in a way that she knew would leave her with bruises come morning,

"We need to have a talk," Ed said.

Shaking her head, "We have nothing left to talk about Ed," Carol responded.

Pulling her arm slightly, she tried to break his hold on her. Ed growled, his grip tightening as he pulled her closer to him. His breath reeked of whiskey so strong that Carol had to turn her head because the smell was making her sick.

"It wasn't a question," Ed hissed out.

"I don't have anything to say to you, and I don't want to hear anything that you have to say to me," Carol bit out.

Next thing she knew she was spinning around, her back slamming into her apartment door, knocking the breath out of her. Carol prepared to take a deep breath, ready to scream for help...

"There a problem here?" A voice asked.

**Oh! Cliffhanger LOL! So what did you think of my first attempt at a cliffy? Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! So I am so sorry about the delay, work has been kicking my ass. I have been working six days and I am exhausted :( I know you have all been patiently waiting so I wont bore you with my whining lol. Just real quick though, the first part is a bit of a flashback to earlier in the evening...As always, my thanks to EnglishPoet18, she is amazing! **

**I am dedicating this chapter to Halohunter89, she is sick and it makes me sad. She picked banana, the other night in chat, so I am giving her the banana :D This wont make any sense till you actually read this chapter LOL. **

"So, has he called yet?"

Daryl shook his head. Merle should have made it to Atlanta by now, and knowing him he was most likely spending his first night checking out his new stomping grounds. Daryl was fairly certain finding a decent bar would be high on Merle's list of priorities.

"You know how he is," Daryl said.

Reaching into the little red cooler and popping the top on another beer, he held it out to the other man.

"No, thanks," Rick said, "Shouldn't even have had the one, being on duty and all."

Shrugging, Daryl downed nearly half of it in just a few quick gulps.

Laughing, Rick pointed his finger at Daryl and in his best cop voice said, "Careful Dixon, don't wanna drag you in for public intoxication."

Scowling, Daryl flipped Rick the bird, earning a chuckle from the other man. For a while the two sat in silence enjoying the quiet of the night. One of the things Daryl enjoyed most about his unit was that it was far removed from the rest of the complex. It was its own separate building entirely. He didn't have to put up with paper thin walls or someone stomping around above his head.

Daryl knew he would miss Merle, but he just didn't know that it would be this much. Coming home to an empty and silent apartment had been a bit unsettling to Daryl. He tried to enjoy it and for a bit he did, but by the time the sun had set Daryl had had enough. It was just luck that Rick had chosen that moment to stop by, returning a few tools he had borrowed.

Daryl had welcomed the company, even managing to talk Rick into hanging around for a drink. Rick was one of the very few friends that Daryl had. They had met when Rick and his partner had been called in to handle a bar brawl that the Dixon brothers had been involved in. Daryl and Rick had ended up having each others back when the brawl got way out of hand. Since then they had formed an easy going friendship.

The silence was broken when Rick's radio crackled to life, "_Units respond. Possible 10-24 in progress." _  
Sighing, Rick snatched up his radio, "So much for an easy night," He grinned, "_10-4, Grimes responding."_

Both men stood, "Thanks for the beer," Rick said, giving Daryl a smack on the back as he passed by.

Nodding, Daryl grabbed up the empty bottles, following Rick towards the parking lot. He intended on making his rounds through the property before calling it a night.

* * *

"_There a problem here?" A voice asked.  
_

Carol let out a sigh of relief. She didn't want to be afraid of Ed, but frankly right now, she was terrified. This Ed she didn't know, she couldn't predict what he might do and that alone scared her. Turning her head, she was just barely able to make out Daryl. He was standing just outside the only light in the hallway. It caused the shadows to drape across him in such a way that he looked even more menacing then Ed.

Ed barely spared more than a passing glance at Daryl before dismissing him,"No need to concern yourself," He sneered, "Just me and my old lady having a conversation, right_ dear_?"

Ed looked at Carol, giving her the same look she had seen several times before. It was the look that told her to mind what she said. Several beats past, and when Carol still did not answer Ed he gave her arm another painful squeeze. Carol hissed at the pain, her arm starting to feel numb.

Swallowing hard, Carol shook her head, "Already told you Ed, I don't wanna talk to you," Her voice came out calm and firm.

Daryl crossed his arms, giving a nod to Ed, "Looks like the lady ain't interested in talking to ya, best be letting go now," He growled out.

Ed let out a laugh, one that could only be described as to sound like a donkey braying, "Buddy, she is a lot of things, but a _lady_ she isn't."

Carol gasped, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment at Ed's implication. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Daryl making his way towards them. Her eyes flashed to Ed, noting that his attention was not on her. She lifted her knee as high as she could and with as much force as she could muster, thrust it forward and up, catching Ed just slightly above his groin.

Even though she missed her target, it still had the desired affect that Carol wanted. Ed released his hold on her, pulling away to bring his hands up to deflect any other attempts. Daryl, moving quickly, came up behind Ed, catching him by the collar of his shirt in one hand and with the other pinning his left arm behind his back. Ed let loose a string of curses directed at the both of them.

"Go on inside Carol. I'm gonna take the trash out then be back," Daryl said.

Giving Ed a not so slight shove, Daryl steered him towards the parking lot.

As soon as she shut the door and flipped the lock Carol began to shake. The events played over and over in her mind, her arm throbbing the whole time. Carol knew it was the adrenaline, that she just needed to relax. Heading into the kitchen, mindful of her shaking hands, she carefully got herself a glass of water. She sipped slowly in between taking deep measured breaths through her nose and out her mouth. It wasn't until she had managed to calm down enough that Carol even realized that too much time had passed for Daryl to simply walk Ed to his truck. Her heart rate started to pick up again with thoughts of Ed hurting Daryl or them fighting. She looked towards her door wondering if she should go looking for him and then to her phone as she considered calling the police.

A knock at her door had her jumping slightly and she let out a relieved sigh as she hurried towards the door. She was so worried about Daryl. Pausing to take a quick glance in the peep hole, she grinned and threw open the door. Her eyes roamed all over Daryl checking for any signs of injury.  
"Are you okay? Ed didn't hurt you, did he?" She asked as she grabbed his hand, pulling him inside the apartment.

Chuckling, Daryl shook his head. As if Ed stood a chance of ever hurting him, he thought. Looking at Carol though, Daryl could see the worry written all over her face.

"Nothing happened. He talked some shit 'bout it," Daryl said.

"Then what took so long?" She asked, tugging lightly on his hand, still trying to look him over.

It was then that Daryl even realized she was in fact still holding his hand, a small smile pulling at his lips. Directing her to sit on the couch, he pulled a roll of gauze from his back pocket and a banana, setting them on to the coffee table.

"Went back to my place to pick these up."

Raising an eyebrow, Carol took in the two objects, "The gauze I get, but the banana?"

"It's for your bruise. It will help with the pain," He told her.

Daryl began unrolling some of the gauze. He watched as Carol picked up the banana, running her finger up and down the smooth peel. Suddenly, the room seemed too hot and too small to Daryl and he couldn't take his eyes off of her nimble little fingers.

Clearing his throat loudly he asked, "Got any scissors?"

Pointing towards the kitchen, Carol nodded, "Second drawer, on the right."

Daryl moved fast. Needing some distance from Carol, he took his time digging around in the junk drawer.

"So am I supposed to _eat_ it?" Carol asked, her voice taking on a soft, husky tone.

Daryl could feel his face flushing at her words. Shaking his head, he plopped back down on the couch giving her his best annoyed look.

"No, you put the underside of the peel on your bruise and wrap it up," He huffed.

Carol giggled, she was highly amused by the looks and blush. That had been a nice added the banana from her hand, Daryl peeled and cut it up into smaller strips. Placing her arm on the back of the couch, he gently laid the strips on her bruise. He was gentle and he took his time to make sure that she was comfortable through it all, only stopping several times to ask if the gauze was too tight. As he finished up she snagged his hand, catching his eye.

"Thank you, for saving me," Carol told him.

"Didn't do nothing, just made sure he left," Daryl replied, "You saved yourself, kneeing him in the nuts like that."

"Oh my gosh! I did do that, didn't I?" Carol asked, laughing when Daryl gave her a nod.

Gathering up all of the bits of banana and gauze, Daryl checked his binding one last time, wanting to make sure it would keep through the night.  
Carol walked him to the door, "Thanks again, for everything," Carol said softly.

He nodded at her, "I'll be by in the morning to check it and rewrap it for you."

Carol was momentarily stunned by that. In all her life she had never met someone so self-less and kind. Lifting herself up slightly, Carol planted a soft kiss on Daryl's cheek. Daryl's whole body stiffened. He had not been expecting that.

"Okay, but only if you let me make you breakfast afterwards," Carol said.

Daryl was so stunned that all he could do was nod his head as he stepped out of her apartment. He managed to pull himself together enough to respond to her when she called out goodnight to him. He was on auto-pilot as he made his way back to his apartment, his mind wandering as he tried to process the events inside her apartment. But all the while, there was a small part of him that couldn't wait for morning to come.

**Review? Did you like the banana? **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! Season Finale tonight, I don't know weather to cry or jump for joy right now. I have stayed really positive this entire season, and I have a really good feeling tonight might just be our night :) **

**But just in case I am horribly wrong I wanted to get this out so that you all had something sweet and funny to read. I hope I did a good job on both the sweet and the funny. On a side note, super proud of myself right now getting this chapter out so quickly. Didn't go the way I have originally planned but I love it, and I hope you all do too! Never could have gotten this out so fast with out the help of EnglishPoet18 and HaloHunter89 they give me good ideas :)**

**I am on the east coast so only have about 16 minutes till show time! **

Carol hummed as she glided around her kitchen. The whole apartment was filled with the sounds and smells of bacon cooking.

She watched Daryl out of the corner of her eye as she worked. He had shown up about a half hour earlier and changed her bandage, making comments about how well it seemed to be healing up. He tried to leave as soon as he was finished, but Carol wasn't having any of that. Handing him a cup of coffee, she directed him to a bar stool and told him to get comfortable.

Neither of them had said much after that. Carol was certain that she was picking up on a bit of uneasiness coming from him. Not wanting to make him any more uncomfortable, Carol opted for silence, waiting for him to start conversation. Daryl watched Carol as she worked, taking in how she seemed to glide around her kitchen looking in her element. When she started to hum he felt a smile tug at his lips. He found himself enjoying watching her. She had a simple kind of beauty about her and he was finding it hard to take his eyes off of her.

He had tried to leave right after changing out her bandage, too nervous to really spend any prolonged amount of time around Carol. Part of him had hoped that she had been joking about making him breakfast, the other part was secretly glad when he realized she wasn't and forced him to stay.

"You really didn't have to cook for me, ya know," Daryl said.

Spinning around and offering him a smile, Carol didn't miss a beat, "You afraid to try my cooking?" She asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.

Daryl sputtered, this women had a way of pulling the rug out from under him.

Waving a hand at him she flipped the bacon, "Are you telling me you would prefer to eat something microwavable or from a can?" Carol asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"How you know?"

"Because men are notorious for eating whatever is quick and unhealthy," Carol said.

Daryl snorted, "Unhealthy."

Craning his neck to glance around her kitchen he said, "It seems out of the two of us, I'm the only one with bananas."

Slapping a hand over her mouth Carol giggled, a flush creeping up her neck. Taking a sip of his coffee Daryl made himself a bit more comfortable, relaxing even more.

"Well," Carol said, a teasing tone to her voice, "You may have the market cornered on bananas, but you should see what I can do with peaches."

"Like to see that," Daryl muttered.

Looking up when Carol placed a plate in front of him, he stared right into her sky blue eyes, a sweet smile on her face.

"Eat up," Carol winked.

* * *

"Food was real good," Daryl said, taking the pot from Carol.

They had finished breakfast and when Carol started the clean up, Daryl had insisted on helping.

"I'm glad you liked it," Carol said, "It was nice to cook for someone who appreciated it for a change."

Reaching her hand into the dirty dish water she pulled out the drain plug. Giving her wrist a quick flick to rid herself of the excess water, she turned to Daryl showing him where to put the pan.

Daryl turned back to Carol, a question forming on his lips when he was distracted by a cluster of soap suds on her nose. He didn't mean to, but she just looked so damn cute that Daryl couldn't help but to laugh. Carol just stared for a moment, caught off guard at first by his laughter and then by how beautiful he looked.

Shaking her head at him and placing her hand on her hips she asked, "Are you going to tell me what is so funny?"

It took him another moment to silence his laughter. A smile stayed etched on his face though.

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to laugh, you just look so..." Daryl stopped, cutting himself off before he said something to embarrass himself. Pointing to her nose he said, "You, ah, have a bit of suds."

Carol quickly brought a hand up to wipe away the suds and missing the mark, she asked if she had gotten it. Letting loose a chuckle, Daryl shook his head. He raised a hand, gently brushing his finger tips against her skin. Wiping away the suds, Daryl let his fingers linger longer than he should have.

Neither one could really say for sure who leaned in first, but next thing they knew, they were but a breath away from each other. Daryl groaned softly when Carol flicked her tongue out wetting her lips, her head tilted at just the right angle. Daryl let the hand he had used to brush away the suds slip down to her neck, gently cupping the satin soft skin he found there. Daryl had never been any good at this part. This was always an area that Merle excelled in. His eyes darted up to meet Carol's. He was almost certain that she wanted to kiss him as much as he did her, but he had to be sure. When he looked into her eyes he was pretty certain it matched the look he had in his own. Making the decision, Daryl tugged ever so gently, tilting his head so that he could feel her breath mingling with his own, almost tasting it.

Someone knocking loudly on Carol's door had them springing apart from each other. Staring at each other, their breathing a bit heavy, both of them saw that they had a flush to their cheeks.

"Damn it," Daryl muttered.

Smiling at him, Carol moved to open the door, "My thoughts exactly," she said softly.

Carol took a deep breath before opening the door, attempting to look as if nothing had almost happened so as to not let whomever was on the other side of her door know just how annoyed she was with them right now.

Mrs. Wilson smiled when Carol opened her door, "Good Morning, dearie! I have my shopping list for you."

She waved a piece of paper in front of Carol's face. Carol suppressed a groan. She had forgotten all about Mrs. Wilson and her damn list. Forcing a smile, Carol reached out to take the list, her eyes scanning the items that were on it.

"We should have all of this. I can bring it by tonight since I will be off at eight," Carol said.

Mrs. Wilson nodded her head, "Of course dearie, but if you don't mind could you spare some butter?"

"Sure," Carol said, taking a step back and allowing Mrs. Wilson to enter the apartment.

Glancing in Daryl's direction, Carol was so tempted to put Mrs. Wilson out. The woman had no idea what she had ruined, and Carol was afraid that she might not get another chance. Daryl had been so nervous most of the morning and it had taken forever it seemed for him to relax enough around her. But when he had, it had been a wonderful morning.

Daryl cringed when the old woman finally spotted him sitting at Carol's kitchen table. At first Daryl thought she might have a stroke the way her eyes kept moving back and forth between the two of them so quickly. Daryl knew the woman was nosy, and he could see it in her eyes that she was dying to know why he was here so early in Carol's apartment.

"Mornin' Mrs. Wilson," Daryl said, nodding at her.

He sipped his lukewarm coffee and just waited. He knew she was going to have something for him to look at. She just hadn't thought of it yet he was sure.

Bringing over the butter dish, Carol placed her hand on the woman's back and started politely steering her towards the door. The whole time Carol reminded her what time she would be by to drop off the groceries, and not to worry about the butter dish. Carol almost had her out the door when she stopped and interrupting Carol, Mrs. Wilson turned back to Daryl.

"Daryl would you be a dearie and come by to look at my sink? It's leaking again."

Holding in the annoyed sigh that Daryl so desperately wanted to let loose, he just nodded, "I'll be right there. Just gonna go grab my tool box."

Satisfied, Mrs. Wilson headed out, wishing Carol a good day at work on her way. Shutting the door behind her, Carol turned to find Daryl standing right behind her. Swallowing, Carol hoped he might want to pick up where they had left off. Shaking his head softly, Daryl leaned down placing a soft peck on her cheek.

"I think I might need to do some grocery shopping myself tonight," Daryl said, giving Carol a wink.

**So? What did you think? **

**Side note-Holy Shit! over 100 reviews! I swear when I started this I NEVER expected to get this many reviews, seriously you guys are all amazing! Now one to 200 reviews LOL!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Well look at me, getting two chapters out in two days. I really had no intention of posting today, just thought I would get a head start on this one but the words wouldn't stop following and before I knew it, bam! Chapter was done LOL. **

**I am sad that the fourth season is over, I thought all in all it was a pretty good season. I mean there was some stuff I could have lived without, and I wish we had more CARYL in it but the set up to season five was great and next season looks like it might be epic! I am still holding strong to the belief that we will get our moment. Gimple did give us "pookie" and "I loved you first" and hey at least our girl is still alive and kicking ass, at this point its better than nothing. I am excited for the summer and the wealth of fanfic that is going to come from the finale. I mean come on! Cannibals! how could you not love that LOL. **

**I love cameo appearances, this one is for HaloHunter89 and EnglishPoet18. They make me laugh, a lot. So I wanted to return the favor. **

She had found herself at times blushing furiously, her mind entertaining thoughts from the sweet and tame to the lewd and erotic. She had never once acted this way with any other guy she had an interest in. She still wasn't quite sure what is was about Daryl that made her blood pressure spike and her heart pound, only that whatever it was she hoped that it didn't go away. Seeing how distracted she had been all afternoon, Maggie had finally managed to convince Carol to head home early. She hadn't wanted to leave, but Maggie was right. Carol wasn't getting any work done with her eyes constantly wandering to the entrance, waiting to see if he would indeed come in and shop like he had alluded to that morning.

She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't even register the arguing coming from the office until she was just outside the door. It surprised her as soon as she realized just who the two voices belonged to and she was amazed she hadn't heard them arguing all the way from the customer service desk.

"No! You're doing it wrong! Let me!"

"Like you know how use this any better than me."

Peeking around the corner, Carol was cautious. One had to be around Amanda and Stacey. The two girls were the best of friends but when they fought it was best to stand as far back as possible. Carol watched as Amanda hip bumped Stacey out of the way, taking over the controls to the security system. Moving the toggle stick around while hitting random buttons, Amanda muttered curses as she tried to work the system.

"You're zooming out!" Stacey cried.

"The hell I am woman! I know what I am doing," Amanda snapped back.

Reaching over and trying to knock Amanda's hands away from the controls, Stacey growled when Amanda slapped her hands away. Giving Amanda a shove, the two girls stared each other down.

Carol waited to see if this would be the end of the fight. For two people that fought as much as they did, everyone knew they would never really hurt each other... at least nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises. Bystanders usually weren't so lucky though, especially if they tried to get involved in one of their fights. Amanda and Stacey were fiercely loyal and protective of each other. Everyone in town knew that if you messed with one, you messed with both of them.

Hearing the girls sigh, Carol looked back into the office. They were leaning against each other, giggling. The fight was over, at least for now.

"Look at those arms," Stacey said dreamily.

"Fuck yeah, check out that ass," Amanda added.

"How many times have I told you two, you can't use the security cameras for your voyeuring," Carol said, her arms crossed as she tried to look stern.  
The two girls whirled around, both attempting to be the picture of innocence.

"She started it," Stacey said, pointing her finger at Amanda.

"Fuck that!" Amanda shouted, "You're the one that suggested we use the cameras."

Carol held up her hands, trying to stop another fight from brewing.

"I don't care who started it," Carol said, "Now the freezer section needs blocking, and you're just the two for the job, so get going."

"Damn it," Stacey muttered.

She dragged Amanda out with her, who was currently busy illustrating the diversity of the word fuck. Laughing, Carol checked out the moniter, her curiousity at who had gotten the two of them all worked up peaked. She gasped when she saw Daryl wandering down aisle seven.

* * *

Daryl wandered through the Buy More aisles. He was looking for Carol. Not seeing her in the customer service office when he arrived, he had grabbed a cart and began wandering the aisles, tossing random items in as he went. He was hoping to run into her as he shopped. After making his escape from Mrs. Wilson that morning, he had tried to throw himself into some work to take his mind off of his breakfast with Carol. As hard as he tried he couldn't stop thinking about the almost kiss. The kiss on the cheek that he had given her hadn't been enough.

He had spent most of the day trying to think of what he should do next. He was tempted to let her lead, afraid he would do or say the wrong thing. It was when he finally gave up on getting any actual work accomplished for the day, deciding instead to knock off early and head back to his place that he got his answer. His phone began ringing as soon as he entered the apartment. Looking at the number and seeing that he didn't recognize it he sighed. He was hoping it wasn't a tenant calling and he was surprised when he heard Merle's voice on the other end.

Daryl sighed in relief to finally have heard from his brother, hearing how good things have been going for him, that he had even met some girl. That Merle was actually making the effort to take her out on dates, and not just to bars had shocked Daryl. Merle was never one for relationships or even making an effort when it came to women. Most times he barely remembered their names the next morning. After hanging up with Merle, he had puttered around the apartment, not really invested in doing much of anything, thinking instead about what Merle had told him of this woman he was dating. Noting the time, Daryl had made up his mind to head to the Buy More, with the intent on making more of a move and asking Carol out.

Moving as quickly as she could through the store without actually running, Carol moved to aisle eight. Trying to make it look like she had been there the whole time, she began moving around the boxes of laundry soap. Her eyes darted to the front of the aisle, waiting for him to come around the corner. She held her breath when she saw a cart peeking around the aisle. Tearing her eyes away, she forced herself to keep facing forward intent on letting him see her first.

Carol held her breath when she heard the squeak of the cart's wheels making the turn onto the aisle and then coming to a stop. The aisle was silent for only a few moments, but it felt like years to Carol. She was fighting a losing battle not to glance in his direction. Finally she heard someone clearing their throat and suppressing the grin that was threatening to surface, she turned her head, a small smile on her face. Attempting to look as if she had no idea he was even in the store, her eyes fell on Daryl fidgeting slightly as he stood behind his cart.

"Hi," Carol said, softly coming to stand at the front of his cart.

She needed that barrier and was worried that if it wasn't there she might embarrass herself. Daryl gave her a lopsided grin, returning her soft hi with one of his own. Glancing into his cart, she made note of all the random items he had picked up.

"Did you really need to shop, or was it just an excuse to come and see me?" Carol teased.

"Little bit of both," Daryl tossed back, a smirk on his face.

He was proud of himself when he saw her flush, shock written all over her face at his remark. Carol recovered quickly though. Not one to be beat in this game she made her way slowly over to him, her finger running over the cool metal of the cart as she walked.

"Well," She purred softly, "I am glad you came by, been thinking about this morning all day."

Her hand came to rest on his forearm. Nodding his head, Daryl tore his gaze from where her hand rested and met her eyes.

"Me too," He responded, his voice soft.

Licking his lips, he placed his hand on top of the one she had on his arm. Lifting her hand he ran his fingers over the soft skin. He couldn't believe how soft she was, like fine silk. He reminded himself to keep his touch gentle, afraid he might bruise her pale skin.

"Came here to ask ya a question," He said, his gaze still lowered.

Carol was working hard to control her breathing. She couldn't believe how much his touch set her on fire. She barely managed to tear her eyes from where he was touching her, looking at his face as he watched himself touch her fingers.

"What do you need to ask?" she stuttered out.

Daryl was quiet for a minute and she desperately wanted to know what he wanted to ask, but she didn't want to rush him. It seemed that every time they saw each other he got braver and she didn't want to do anything to scare him off so she waited.

"Said you was off tomorrow night, wanted to see if you..." Daryl said.

His eyes were still glued to their hands.

"Yes," Carol responded, not even giving him a chance to finish his question.

Daryl's head snapped up at that, his eyes shining with amusement, "Well alright then," He said.

**Yay! he asked her out! I am so excited right now! LOL **

**Review? **


	8. Chapter 8

**Good Morning! Wow I am so glad everyone loved the last chapter, and the little cameo appearance :) Might have to bring them back around again. So this chapter is my longest yet, nearly two thousand words and I didn't even get all I wanted to happen in it, so I ended it. I started to get a little carried away lol but I like where this one ended and I think I did a decent job with their date. I have plans for this one, wont say what exactly but I like the idea so I am excited we are getting closer to that particular part. **

**I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I am gonna shoot for another update this weekend not sure when but I am gonna try. If you haven't seen yet our amazing HaloHunter89 finished Surrender to the Wind, and its so sweet! If you haven't read that one go read it! **

Carol stood in front of the full length mirror checking herself from every possible angle. She had spent longer than she would ever care to admit getting ready for their date tonight, but she thought the end result had been well worth the time she put in. Turning herself, she front faced the mirror, running her hands down the red halter styled top, smoothing out the tiny wrinkles she found. Twisting again, she checked herself out in the jeans she had choosen to wear. They were her favorite pair because they hugged her hips and thighs like a second skin. Between the jeans and her black cowboy boots, her legs looked to be about a mile long. Carol giggled when she checked out her own ass, loving the way it looked in these jeans. A simple amount of makeup and a pair of silver hoops completed her outfit.

Carol didn't think she had ever been more excited for a date then she was for this one. After asking her out last night, Daryl had continued to wander the grocery store with her, the two of them falling into a comfortable, teasing sort of conversation. Once they arrived back to the apartment complex, he even helped her carry Mrs. Wilson's groceries to her door, waiting to walk Carol back to her apartment. She had hoped that he might kiss her goodnight, but he had surprised her for the second time that night. Instead of going in for a kiss, Daryl had softly kissed her cheek, whispering goodnight in her ear. Even in the dark Carol was certain they were both blushing.

Hearing a knock at her door, Carol forced herself to walk over to it calmly. She didn't want to appear too excited.

Daryl had been a mess of nerves all day long, he had tried to throw himself into work, but he would find himself dwelling on his impending date more than actually working. It wasn't that he was nervous persay, just that he was more afraid of messing it up. He worried that he would do or say the wrong thing, or that the place he had picked to take her to wouldn't be to her liking. He had also had a minor freak out when it was time to start getting ready and he realized that he didn't have anything too wear that wasn't riddled with holes. He had finally managed to dig out a long sleeved, corn flower blue shirt that he was sure he bought for one of Merle's court appearances and a newer pair of jeans that had yet suffered the same fate as his other pairs.

When Carol pulled open the door, Daryl was pretty certain his chin hit the concrete. She looked unbelievable. He could see all of her curves, his eyes tracing the ins at her waist and the out where her hips flared. He took in every detail his eyes could absorb, not realizing how long he had been staring until he heard a giggle coming from Carol.

Carol smiled when she saw the blush on Daryl's face and she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. He was looking at her like she was the only woman on the planet. She saw his eyes wander and she loved it. It had been too long since someone had looked at her like that.

Coughing a bit, Daryl finally brought his eyes back to hers, "You look beautiful."

Carol's smile bloomed into a full on grin, "Thank you," She responded softly, "You don't look so bad yourself."

Giving her a nod, Daryl reached his hand out, "Ready to go?"

Stepping back to let Carol step out and lock the door, he took her hand as soon as her keys were safely inside her purse. Opening the door to the truck for her, he waited until she was all settled in before shutting the door. Climbing into the driver's side of the truck, he threw the truck into reverse to leave. Their conversation remained light until Carol noticed that they had driven right through the downtown area.

She shifted slightly in her seat when they took the turn off for the highway, "Where are we going?" She asked, excitement evident in her voice.

Daryl grinned, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes, "Place called Cowboys, ever been?"

Carol let out a bit of a squeal. She hadn't been there in ages, but some of her best memories had happened there.

"I love that place, haven't been in forever," She sighed, straightening some when a thought hit her.

She turned her body, waiting until she caught Daryl's eyes, "They have a mechanical bull," Her voice had taken on that husky tone that Daryl loved so much, "Cant wait to ride it, again," She finished, shooting a wink in his direction.

Daryl swallowed, his mind already conjuring up images of her and the bull.

* * *

"You cant be serious!" Carol laughed, "How many times have you fixed it?"

They had just finished an amazing dinner on the outside patio of Cowboys and were waiting for the bar to open fully. Carol had been surprised when Daryl drove them straight to the bar. She never knew they served dinner outside. She was impressed with the simple barbeque menu they had. It was small, but the food was very good. They had spent dinner just talking about anything they could think of, the conversation flowing along. It was never awkward or uncomfortable for either of them.

"I don't know," Daryl said, with a shrug, "I stopped counting after six times."

They had been passing time until the bar opened with sharing stories of Mrs. Wilson. Carol was cut off from what she was going to say next, by the doors opening. The thump of the bass made the ground feel like it was vibrating. Clapping her hands together, Carol jumped to her feet, holding her hands out to pull Daryl to his feet. Daryl came willingly, her excitement was what was making his evening. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he followed her inside.

Carol had her arms wrapped around Daryl's shoulders and he had a firm grip on her hips, the beat of the music carrying them along. She had lost count of how many songs they had danced to. He was definitely not the best dance partner she had ever had but what he lacked in moves he made up for in touch. Daryl hadn't taken his hands off her all night, holding her close even when they were just taking a break to relax their feet and get a drink. The slow song they had been swaying to came to an end, the DJ coming on the loudspeakers letting everyone know the bull was up and running for the evening.

Carol practically dragged Daryl off of the dance floor and over to the line for a chance to ride. Daryl stood in line with Carol, her back to his chest, his hand resting on her hips. They were both laughing as they watched the other patrons try their luck. As they moved closer, Daryl got a better look at the bull. It was old and he could tell that it was scuffed to hell. He watched as a woman was flipped backwards off of it, her face smacking into the mat. His gripped tightened slightly on Carol. He was worried about her riding it now. As sexy as hell as he knew it would be to watch her, it wasn't worth her safety.

Carol felt his grip tighten and she turned her neck to see his face. She could see his eyes were narrowed and feel how tense his body was.

"What's wrong?" She asked, turning her head to look around the bar, trying to find what had seemed to upset him.

Shaking his head, Daryl looked back at the next person struggling to pull themselves up on to the bull.

"Don't look too safe," He said, bringing his eyes back to Carol's face, surprised to see a smile gracing her lips.

Turning fully in his arms, looping her arms around his shoulders to pull herself to her tiptoes, she placed her mouth right next to his ear.

"It's all about practice, on how not to get bucked off," She whispered in his ear, her hot breath causing a slight shiver to run through Daryl's body.

Before he could even respond, she spun herself right out of his arms and walked up to the mat. He watched as she made her way across the mat, placing her hands on the saddle as she bounced herself up and over, straddling the bull with practiced ease. Daryl let out a soft groan when he noticed how she tightened her thighs on the flanks of the bull and wrapped her hand in the strap.

His mind clouded with thoughts of her straddling him like that bull and he could feel his pants tighten at the thought. He was grateful for the dim lighting as he attempted to adjust himself. The DJ gave Carol a thumbs up which she returned and steam shot from the bulls nostrils as it reared back slightly. A moment later the music started and a grin broke out on Carol's face once she recognized the first few chords of Warrant's, Cherry Pie.

Daryl wouldn't be able to tear his eyes away from Carol even if the damn building was on fire. The bull was timed to the music and moved to the beat. Carol looked almost as if she were dancing. His eyes were glued to her hips and chest as they swayed from the movements of the bull. He didn't think he had ever seen anything so graceful or sexy in his life. Several other men had come closer to where Daryl was standing and he could hear bits and pieces of what they were saying. He grinned when he heard them fighting over who was gonna get a chance to talk to her first, shaking his head. _Too late assholes, she's already taken_, he thought to himself.

Carol made it through the whole song without getting bucked off. Dismounting she nearly ran right to Daryl, throwing herself into his arms laughing. Daryl smiled, her eyes were bright and she was bubbling away about how much fun it was and if he noticed when she almost fell. Daryl couldn't help himself. He had never wanted to kiss a woman as badly as he wanted to kiss Carol.

Catching her face with his palm, he tilted her head up towards his. Swooping in, he pressed a kiss to her soft lips catching her completely off guard. It didn't take but a moment for Carol to be over the shock, quickly becoming an active participant in the kiss. She gasped when she felt the tip of his tongue trace the seam of her lips, granting Daryl access into her mouth. Stepping closer, Carol threaded her fingers into Daryl's hair, tugging slightly when he deepened the kiss, his arm snaking out around her waist to pull her even closer to him. The music, people, and everything else around them faded into the background becoming nothing more than white noise. Carol wasn't sure how long they stayed there like that, but both of them were panting by the time they pulled away.

"Wow," Carol muttered, her breath coming in short pants.

"Uh huh," Daryl managed to hum out, his breathing still heavy.

"Want to get out of here?" Carol asked, pulling herself back from Daryl slightly.

She caught the heated look in his eyes as he grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the exit.

**So what did you think? The bull? The kiss? LOL Review? **


	9. Chapter 9

**Good Evening! Guess who has another chapter for you?! LOL. I really love this one, its the beginning of the start of something yet to come. I really hope everyone enjoys this one :) **

**I may or may not get another one out tomorrow, don't hold me to anything, if I don't then don't worry it wont be a long wait. **

Her mind began to wander to what may happen when they got back home. She had never been one of those girls, but she found herself not caring in the least about what was proper or not. The more time she spent around Daryl, the more right and natural things seemed to be. She knew that if the events for the rest of the evening played out like she found herself desperately hoping they did, she wouldn't find herself regretting it at all come morning.

Walking past a row of cars, Carol could see a group of guys hanging out around a truck, but she didn't even spare them a passing glance as she wandered by the aisle. Hearing someone shout her name though, she acted on pure instinct and turned back towards the sounds. She stopped short when she realized that the one shouting her name was a friend of Ed's. Actually, now that she was getting a better look at them, they all worked out at the dealership with Ed. Carol muttered a curse when Ed hopped out of the truck they had all been standing around.

She turned, intending to head back towards the bar and wait for Daryl by the bouncer, but Ed was faster. Reaching her before she could make it back out of the aisle, he grabbed her arm, jerking her to a stop.

Giving Ed the best glare that she could muster, she stared back at him.

Glancing down at his hand on her arm then back to Ed she kept her voice low, "Let go of me Ed."

She heard his friends laughing, egging Ed on, telling him what they would do if their woman talked to them in that tone.

Ignoring them for now, Ed gave a shake of his head, "We still need to have a talk."

He opened his mouth to continue, but Carol cut him off, "I already told you the other night that I have nothing to say to you."

She could smell the alcohol on him and she wasn't at all surprised. Ed and his friends were damn cheap, always drinking as much as they could at home before going out. She was certain he was, if not already, well on his way to being drunk.

Carol leaned away from him, craning her neck to see back towards the door, trying to spot Daryl. She felt herself being jerked forward, further into the aisle.

"Looking for your little girlfriends?" Ed sneered, looking back to his friends.

They all laughed like he had just told the funniest damn joke they had ever heard.

Shaking her head, Carol gave Ed a smile, "Nope, looking for my date."

Her voice came out sweet and light. She knew it probably wasn't the best idea to taunt Ed like this, but she was tired of him popping up in her life when she just wanted him gone.

_"Dixon._ You son of a bitch."

Carol's head snapped up. Ed's eyes were no longer on her, but looking over her shoulder. Using him as a distraction Carol was able to pull away from Ed's grasp. Turning completely, she found Daryl standing behind them, his fists clenched at his sides. Carol moved quickly, going to Daryl's side.

"You okay?" He did not look at Carol, instead keeping his attention on Ed, "If this gets out of hand, don't interfere. Go back to the bar." Stepping slightly in front of Carol, he blocked her from Ed's view, "I thought we talked about this Ed, told ya to leave this woman the hell alone," Daryl said, his voice calm and smooth.

Chuckles and snorts could be heard coming from all of Ed's friends, all of them finding it funny that Daryl even thought he stood a chance against all of them. Ed's mouth was drawn back in a grimace of rage as he put together just who Carol's date had been. Ed began moving in on Daryl, his hands knotted into fists, his face beginning to turn red. He stopped just a few feet short of Daryl.

"And I told you," Ed spat, "I wasn't going anywhere until I talk to her," Ed rasped, "I sure as hell ain't gonna let you stop me."

"And I told you," Daryl responded, his voice even, "You are no longer allowed near her no more."

Letting out a sharp laugh, Ed shook his head and pointed a finger at Daryl, "Who the hell do you think you are, you bastard?"

Sighing, Daryl shook his head, "It's over. This is where you cut your losses and find yourself another woman."

"It isn't over until I say its over," Ed nearly shouted, "You hear me? I ain't finished yet!"

"You're drunk Ed," Daryl nodded his head towards Ed's friends, "Why don't ya let your friends take your ass home for the night."

Ed's face got redder when his friends turned their teasing on him, throwing around jabs about how it was past Ed's bedtime and how he couldn't hold his liquor.

"Don't tell me what to do. Stop interfering with Carol and me."

"Look, Ed-"

Ed lunged forward suddenly, swinging wildly, but Daryl sidestepped the blow. Ed was so unsteady on his feet that he was thrown off balance when his hit failed to connect. He smacked right into the fender of a Toyota instead. Shaking off the blow, he climbed back to his feet. His friends let out exaggerated, "Oohs".

Daryl was trying to keep his temper in check, doing everything short of fighting back.

"This is not a good idea," Daryl said. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and realized Carol was starting to inch her way back towards the bar,"No, Carol. Not yet."

She hesitated, "Daryl, he is out of control."

"Bastard."

Ed shoved himself away from the Toyota and swayed forward a second time, drawing back his right arm and aiming for another punch at Daryl. This time Daryl let him get closer before he ducked the clumsy blow. He grabbed Ed's right arm and used the mans own momentum to pull him forward and off balance. Ed stumbled, attempting to right himself before it was too late. If he had been sober he might have succeeded. Instead he went down hard. Ed managed to push himself into a sitting position, but it took him several tries before he managed to pull himself first to his knees and then to his feet. Daryl stood still, not wanting to turn his back just yet on Ed until he was sure he had no more fight left in him.

After a few moments of Ed just breathing hard, Daryl looked to his friends, "Get his ass home."

He looked back just as Ed leaned over the hood of the same Toyota he had knocked into earlier, his breathing still heavy. Daryl walked back towards Carol, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He led her away towards the truck.

Carol sat in the truck, her eyes following Daryl as he walked in front, heading back to the driver's side. She was so afraid this was going to be the end of it for them. What man wanted to deal with a woman's ex that just couldn't seem to get the hint?

Turning her head just as Daryl climbed into the cab, she heard him sigh. She braced herself for what she was certain he was going to tell her. Carol nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his arm come up and around her shoulders, making her slide across the bench. Daryl cupped her chin gently and tilting her face up, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"You alright?" He asked while pushing the overhead light on so he could take a look at her arm.

"I am so sorry, Daryl." Choking back a sob, Carol shook her head, "I will understand if this is too much for you."

Reaching out, Daryl palmed her cheek, his thumb wiping away the few tears that had managed to escape. "I love your eyes," Daryl whispered, "Remind me of them bluebirds I see in the woods."

Ducking his head down, he pressed another kiss to her lips. This time she responded, sighing when he deepened the kiss.

Breaking the kiss, Daryl smiled at her,"Gonna take more than Ed to chase me away from you, bluebird."

* * *

"Yuk it up assholes," Ed growled.

His friends had spent the last several minutes reenacting Ed's very one-sided fight against Daryl, each taking turns playing as Ed. They laughed as they stumbled around in an attempt to show Ed just how awkward he had been.

Ed shoved one of the guys when they stumbled by him, their arms outstretched and groaning like some kind of zombie. He wasn't going to let Dixon make a fool of him again.

Ed opened his mouth, ready to rip into his so-called friends, wanting to know where the hell they had been and why they hadn't had his back. He paused when something shining in the street lamp caught his attention. Bending down Ed let out a loud laugh, a wide grin spreading over his face when he realized just what he had managed to find.

**Dun-dun-dun! LOL! So what do you think? Any guesses? I am particular proud of the amount of dialogue in this one, and bluebird I thought was the sweetest damn thing I ever thought of. Review?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Good Evening! Okay, I am going to be totally honest with you all right now I am so damn nervous about this chapter. I am usually a bundle of nerves every time I post, but this chapter, this is the one that has me on the edge LOL. I am so damn grateful to EnglishPoet18 and HaloHunter89 without them I don't think I would have ever been able to give you all this chapter, they are the best of the best after all :) **

**I am most certainly making good use of the M rating for this chapter, so if you dont like this kind of thing you should skip the whole chapter, I kinda let it get a little out of control. I hope its everything you all were waiting and hoping for! **

Daryl pulled the truck up at the back of the complex close to his own place. They hadn't spoken since they had left the bar, though Carol had yet to let go of his hand so he was taking that as a good sign. He had been watching her out of the corner of his eye the whole way home. While she had stopped crying not long after he told her he wasn't going anywhere, he could almost see the wheels still turning in her head. She was worried, whether it was about him or Ed, he wasn't sure.

Walking around to open her door, he smiled when she offered him a small smile. Shutting the door, Daryl laced his fingers with Carol's, tugging her closer to him and taking it as a good sign when she didn't pull away. They walked the path towards the center of the complex. Soon the path would split and Carol still had not said a word to him. Stopping at the fork in the path, they just stood there. Wracking his mind, Daryl was trying to think of something to say, he couldn't take the look on her face any longer.

"Did you mean it?" Carol whispered. She kept her face down, not daring to bring her eyes to his.

Daryl didn't respond to her question. Instead, he tugged her slightly up the path heading towards his apartment. He ignored her protests and question of where they were headed. Being as gentle as he could and mindful of her twice bruised arm, Daryl spun her around, her back to his front door. Resting his hands on either side of her head, effectively caging Carol in, he stared at her.

"Never said something I didn't mean, ever," Daryl said, keeping his voice low.

Shaking her head Carol said, "Daryl, what if his friends had decided to jump in? My problems.." Carol sighed, "They're not your problems."

Daryl was silent. Carol took a chance to look into his face. It was dark in his door way, but Carol could make out just enough of his face and what she saw made her breathing heavy. Bringing her hands up, she placed them on his chest and taking a small step closer to him, she whispered his name.

Daryl brushed a stray strand of hair away from her neck, dipping his head to nibble at her skin. Carol gasped. She had never been one to really think of her neck as a sensitive spot. Sure Ed had nibbled at her neck dozens of times, but it had never once caused her to respond like this. Tracing a path up along her jaw, he touched her lips with his, his tongue sweeping out and taking possession of her mouth.

Wrapping her arms around his neck as his hands came down to her waist, he smoothed his palms to her hips. Daryl pushed her back until she was flush between the door and him.

Daryl's hand moved from her waist, letting his hand roam down along the curve of her spine to settle on her ass, cupping her close to him. In return Carol let her hands roam the hard planes of Daryl's back, sliding around to his narrow waist. She pulled his shirt up, her hands finally coming in contact with his warm skin. When the demand for air supply became top much for the both of them, they broke apart. Carol skimmed her lips down Daryl's neck, latching onto his pulse. She smiled against his neck when she heard his ragged breathing. She felt one of his hands leave her ass, then the sound of keys jiggling in the lock.

Daryl tightened his hold on Carol as the front door finally opened and she went tumbling backward, ending in almost a dip, as Daryl held the door frame to keep them both from spilling onto the floor. Giggling as Daryl righted them both, his hand came up to cup her breast as he slowly moved forward, forcing Carol to shuffle backwards.

Carol had a thought that she should be embarrassed by her ragged breathing, but she couldn't bring herself to care when Daryl latched onto the soft skin right below her ear. Tipping her head back to allow him better access, the moan that was spilling from her turned into a soft cry of pleasure when Daryl bit down lightly. Catching her reflection in a small mirror, she was shocked by her flushed cheeks, eyes bright, her mused hair, and kiss swollen lips. She had never seen herself so beautiful before.

Daryl muttered a curse when Carol pulled away from him, spinning herself slowly, taking in the space that was his living room. Not liking that she was no longer in his arms, Daryl reached for her, pulling her back flush against his chest.

"I hope this is your place," Carol said, that teasing tone back in her voice.

She felt Daryl's head nod in the affirmative, his nose trailing up her neck to place an open mouthed kiss on the shell of her ear.

"Yeah, let me give ya a tour, lets start with the bedroom."

* * *

Carol laughed as the tumbled onto Daryl's bed, his mouth closing onto her collarbone. Feeling more than hearing Daryl's own laugh as it vibrated through her chest, it shot straight to her core. Carol returned her attention to the last few buttons on his shirt that she had yet to get opened, groaning when she finally managed to free him from it. She pushed it off his shoulders, tossing it over the side of the bed to join hers on the floor.

Daryl unhooked her bra, running his palms over her breasts until her nipples ached from the friction. His tongue devoured hers, rasping against it, swallowing the gasps and moans that spilled from Carol. Daryl moved his mouth over her shoulder, down along the tops of her breast, leaving behind his own groan when he cupped her breasts together, laving at both her ridged nipples. Daryl was becoming drunk from the taste and smell of Carol. She was intoxicating and he couldn't help himself, but he had to taste more of her.

He skimmed his lips over the soft skin of her midriff, nipping softly at the skin just above her jeans. Working towards his ultimate goal of popping the button of her jeans, he grasped them and quickly peeled them down her legs, tossing them to join the rest of their clothes on the floor. Daryl bit his lip while he drank in the view he had. Carol was laid out on his bed clad in nothing but a black lace thong. She was beautiful. His fingers whispered over the tops of her thighs, listening to the moans that escaped from Carol, like music to his ears. Curling a finger around the band of her thong, he slowly tugged it down her thighs. Daryl paused when he felt Carol push against his shoulders. Worried that she might want to stop, he raised his head prepared to ask if she was alright.

"Don't stop," Carol whined.

Daryl chuckled as Carol gripped at his hair, clenching fistfuls of it in her hands. When he parted her swollen lips, laying a tentative tongue over her clit, Carol nearly screamed from the sweet sting of pleasure that shot through her. His mouth was like heaven, his fingers stroking, playing her, coaxing a building heat. This was the closest thing to magic she had ever experienced. Dragging his tongue over her clit and swirling it around the swollen nub, Carol couldn't control the quake running through her body, moaning loudly when he increased the pressure.

An ache, familiar yet stronger than anything she could ever remember, grew as Daryl stroked her with his tongue. Dragging his finger over her now slick flesh, causing Carol's chest to become so tight that she couldn't get enough air into her lungs.

With each pass of his tongue Daryl's moans grew, causing a wave a pressure to burst from within Carol. A husky gasp escaped from her, her back arching as she bucked her hips against his mouth, pulling him even tighter to her. She continued to rock against his mouth as she slowly floated back down to earth becoming aware of Daryl as he softly stroked his fingers over her hips traveling up to her waist.

Daryl claimed her mouth in a soft kiss, leaving the taste of herself on her lips. Carol had no words to describe what she was feeling. No special word or phrase would do, yet it was the most erotic experience of her life. Tangling her fingers in his hair, they lay there just kissing, enjoying the feeling of being pressed against one another.

"You're beautiful, bluebird," Daryl whispered, his voice rough.

Carol smiled, looking him in the eyes as she ran her hands over his chest, brushing against his nipples and making them pucker. She reached for the buckle of his belt. Unfastening it, she gave him a shove, forcing him to roll over. Daryl grinned as he watched her run her hands and lips over his stomach, reaching for his zipper. He had to clench his fists into the sheets to keep himself from pushing her soft hands away and taking control back. His need for her was at an all time high.

Daryl gritted his teeth when Carol tugged his jeans, pulling them down over his knees. Kicking them off, he forced his eyes to stay open when he felt the heat from her small palm wrap around his cock. Sucking in a breath of air, he made himself lie still as she began to stroke him. Carol dipped her head, nibbling along his abs. Moving lower, she grinned when she heard him groan and she felt his fingers run through her hair.

Carol grazed her lips over his throbbing shaft, flicking her tongue over the tip before she enveloped him inside her hot wet mouth. Daryl's hips arched up to meet her mouth. Rolling his head side to side, he grabbed Carol by her shoulders, pulling her up to him. There was no way he was going to last if he let her keep going, He was already wound to tight.

Shaking his head when he saw the pout on her face, Daryl gripped her chin, pressing a quick kiss to her lips as he pulled back.

"No way," Daryl panted, "I wont last, need you now."

Holding Carol close to him, he reached around her to open the side table, digging his hand around until he managed to find the small colored foiled packet. Tearing it open and sliding it over his pulsing cock, Daryl rolled Carol beneath him.

A moan spilled from both of them when her silken skin blended with his. They locked eyes in the dark, Daryl waiting for Carol to give him a sign that she was ready for him to move. His answer came in the form of Carol wrapping her thighs around his waist, scraping her nails down his sides. Keeping his thrusts slow, Daryl had to clench his teeth at her slick, tight, passage. She was so incredibly tight, like a glove around his cock.

"You feel so good," Carol gasped, crossing her ankles together at his lower back.

Raising her hips, she met him thrust for thrust. Carol threw her head back as something between a moan and a scream found its way out of her throat and she felt a shudder pass through her body, making her vibrate. Feeling her tense, Daryl let go, driving into her hard.

Harsh breaths filled the air. Carol's chest rose and fell with her hard pulls of breath. Daryl rolled from her, not wanting to crush her with his weight and pulled her on top of him. Her head came to rest on his chest and she tangled her legs with his, pressing a kiss to his chin. Carol shifted around in the bed and Daryl tightened his grip on her, worried she might try to leave him.

"Stay," He pleaded.

"I couldn't move right now, even if I wanted to," Carol chuckled.

Smirking, Daryl brushed a kiss to her forehead, "Good?" He asked.

Carol hummed, "Very."

**So? what did you think? Review? **


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay so I know this one took a while, it was a combination of a few things. One being that this chapter gave me a little bit of trouble, two being I work in a theme park and it was spring break LOL. I hope this chapter makes up for the lateness :) **

**The next one shouldn't take as long for me to get out, sometime this week I hope. Thank EnglishPoet18 as well, I wont post till she looks over it for me and she has been super busy as well this week.**

Burrowing herself further into the nest of blankets and pillows, Carol breathed in deeply, taking in the scent that was all Daryl while fighting her body's need to awaken. Keeping her eyes closed, she let her hand travel along the top of the mattress searching out Daryl. Finding the space next to her cool and empty she finally opened her eyes. Pushing herself up slightly on her elbow, she scanned the room finding herself alone. Frowning, Carol sat silent for a moment trying to hear any sounds of him moving around the apartment. Hearing nothing she rolled over, ready to pull herself out of bed and fully intending to have a search of the apartment.

She was halted in her tracks by a horribly loud screeching noise. Looking around his bedroom, she searched for the alarm clock. It took her sleep addled mind several moments to register that the terrible noise was not the alarm clock, but the smoke alarm going off. Not knowing what could have possibly caused the smoke alarm to go off and fearing the worst, Carol quickly snatched up a discarded shirt of Daryl's from the floor. Racing down the hall, she was relieved when she got to the living room and had yet to see any flames. What she did see though made her giggle.

Standing in the middle of the kitchen was Daryl, in nothing but a pair of jeans, waving a dish towel above his head as he tried to clear the smoke from around the alarm. Opening a window, Carol helped let some of the smoke out and the alarm shut off a few moments later, leaving the only sound in the apartment being muttered curses coming from Daryl.

Carol tried to stifle her laughter, she really did, but he just looked so damn cute standing there that she couldn't help the laughter that kept bubbling up inside of her.

"What on earth happened?" She asked.

Daryl blushed, turning his head away from her, "Was trying to make ya breakfast."

Carol felt her heart flutter in her chest. She didn't think it was possible to feel like this so early on. Pushing away from the counter she moved to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her chin resting on his chest. She sighed when he wrapped his arms around her, dipping his head to press a kiss to her lips. It was nice being in his embrace. She was perfectly fine staying just like this for the rest of the day, but unfortunately her stomach chose that moment to rumble, making its presence known.

"Let's see how bad the damage is," She said, smiling at him.

Daryl watched her as she moved about his kitchen quickly finding what she needed. Unlike Merle he had never had a women stay the night at his place, he never felt comfortable with it. Something about having another person in his home, touching his things, it had never sat right with him causing him to feel uneasy. Unfortunately, Merle had never shared in his aversions. Barely a weekend would go by without him waking up to find some nameless women wandering about their apartment.

But with Carol, he was more surprised that he wasn't even in the slightest unnerved that she was here in his space. In fact, he was enjoying her being here and his mind was trying to think of ways to keep her around longer.

Her back to him, Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist loving the feel of her relaxing against his chest. As he nuzzled her neck he breathed in her scent. She smelled like a mix of the both of them.

"I was the one that was suppose to be cooking," He breathed into her ear.

Seeing a smile out of the corner of her eye, she didn't respond. Instead she just stirred the spatula around the pan. He untangled his arms from her waist, resting his hands on her hips while slowly rubbing small, soft, circles with his thumbs.

Slowly, Daryl moved his hands up her torso. Carol gasped when she felt Daryl gently cup her breasts, letting his thumbs gently swipe across her nipples. Trailing his lips up her neck, he alternated between gentle nips and soft kisses.

Carol couldn't help the soft breathy moans or stop the fluttering of her eyelids. Daryl's touch was so light that it was driving her insane with lust and she wanted more of his touch. Grasping his hand, she tugged it away from her breast, sliding it down to the place where she really needed him to touch her.

Daryl kept his touch light as he slowly ran his fingertips over the tops of Carol's thighs, his knuckles brushing against her mound before he would pull them back just to repeat the process all over again. He smirked, when after the third time, she began to beg him, breathy pleas of _please _and _more_. Her short nails would dig into his forearms when he stopped.

Pulling his hands away with his chest pressing more into Carol's back, he chuckled when he heard her whine. Turning the knob on the burner to off, he moved the pan away from the heat.

"Don't wanna set the alarm off again," He whispered, nipping at Carol's earlobe.

Carol could only nod her head in agreement. She was wound so tight and he had barely touched her. She gasped loudly, when instead of the teasing touches she was expecting, she felt Daryl's fingers lightly tracing her slit, dipping in to just barely graze her clit. His finger moved smoothly. He continued with the barely there touches until Carol thought that she could take no more. She felt him slide his thick digit all the way in. Tossing her head back and leaning against his chest, she felt Daryl's hot breath on her neck.

"Tight," He groaned, "So tight."

He eased his finger back out of her snug passage. Using some of the moisture he had gathered on his finger, he began to softly circle her small and swollen clit. He repeated the action, his movements slow and deliberate, easing his finger into her and then teasing the small nub. He did it again and again. Carol found herself so lost in the delicious torment that seemed to go on forever. She felt ready to explode at any given moment. Digging her nails in even harder into Daryl's forearms, her hips began rocking frantically.

Securing an arm around her waist he pulled Carol tight against him, his hand making its way up underneath her shirt to grasp at her silken soft breast, teasing the nipple he found there.

"Come on, bluebird," Daryl whispered, "Open wider for me. Yes, that's it. You're so tight. So soft and sweet and tight."

"Oh, God yes. _Yes,_" Carol moaned as her body exploded in a burst of pleasure.

* * *

Easing himself down onto the couch, a small grunt of pain escaped his lips as he tried to find a comfortable position for his aching body. The son of a bitch hadn't lay one damn hand on him last night and yet he still felt like he had gone ten rounds in the ring. Adjusting himself further, he reached into his pocket, pulling out the small metal prize. He couldn't help the grin that formed whenever he saw it.

Leaning against the back of the couch, he studied his prize. He couldn't rush this because it had to be perfect. He had been awake most of the night, his mind running, jumping from one idea to another. After last night he knew he couldn't go up against Dixon face to face again. He needed to be smart about this. He no longer wanted to just hurt Dixon. The man had embarrassed him by turning him into the butt of everyone's joke. He would destroy everything he had and then when his life was in shambles, he would kick back and watch as Carol walked away from Daryl right back into his arms.

_Mother fucker may have won that fight_, he thought, but at the end of the day, when all was said and done, he was gonna have the last laugh.

**So what did ya think? Review?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, so I know this is a little late :( sorry. Spring break at a theme park is really the whole month of April lol. **

**This chapter is well its fine, I am not super happy with it but I have rewritten it several times and I just had to give up. This is really the best version of it lol. I hope you guys like it though, its more of a filler kind of chapter, just setting the stage for the up coming stuff and thangs...**

_**Two weeks later...**_

Daryl blushed furiously as Rick howled with laughter, slapping a hand over his neck and covering the hickies Carol had left on him. He had nearly forgotten about them until Rick had shown up for their weekly beer night. Rick immediately pounced, teasing Daryl, but at the same time telling him how happy he was that Daryl had finally started seeing someone.

Daryl flipped Rick off, pulling himself from underneath the hood of Carol's car, "Ya gonna help or just cackle all damn night?" Daryl growled.

Carol had called him the previous night asking him for a ride to work and telling him that she needed to get her car towed. Daryl had refused to let her get the car towed. The only place in town that would have been cheap enough for her to afford would have been the garage that was attached to the dealership that Ed worked at. Daryl wasn't going to even entertain the thought of her being within a hundred feet of that bastard.

Instead he told her that he would drive her to work then he would take a look at her car, but now that he had gotten a chance to take a look at it he realized that her car may be too far gone to fix.

"Really man, I am happy for you," Rick said. "It's about time."

Pulling a red rag from his back pocket to wipe the grease from his hands, Daryl didn't respond to Rick anymore than just a slight bob of his head to let the man know he had heard him. Sitting down on the lawn chairs Daryl had swiped from the pool area, Rick popped the top on two more beers, handing one to Daryl.

"So, has she had anymore problems from her ex?" Rick asked, "You know I would rather you call me if you do."

Daryl sighed. He knew he should have never even opened his mouth to Rick about the whole thing with Ed. The man had been like a dog with a bone about it ever since Daryl let the whole incident at the bar slip. He knew Rick was just trying to look out for him and he really did appreciate that, but he could handle shit on his own. Especially Ed because the man was all talk. The only reason he had even thought to swing on Daryl that night was the alcohol and his stupid ass friends egging him on.

"Nah, not a peep outta him."

Rick raised his eyebrow, cutting a look to Daryl that said he didn't quite believe him but he was dropping the topic, or at least Daryl thought he might be for now.

Rick glanced at his watch, standing up when he noticed the time, "We better get going if we are gonna meet Shane and T-dog."

Daryl looked over at Carol's car then back to Rick. He had promised to go and Rick had been pestering him for weeks to come out and socialize with some of his friends, watch a game, and have some beers at the bar.

"Don't even think about backing out on me, man." Rick said, pointing his finger at Daryl.

* * *

Ed grinned when he heard the soft clicks of the tumblers disengaging from the lock.

_Music to my ears. _

Checking over his shoulders one last time he slowly opened the door, quickly sliding his large frame inside. Standing as still as he could, he listened for any sounds that would alert him to the resident actually being home. Ed let out a breath when after a few minutes of absolute silence he found himself in the clear.

Pulling a small mag light from his back pocket, he was careful as he switched it on to keep it pointed at the ground. Already knowing what he was in search of, Ed made sure his steps were slow and calculated. He didn't need to bump into any furniture or alert anyone of his presence.

Heading to the glass case located in the back of the living room and shining the light into the case, he couldn't keep the smile off his face when he found his prize. Needing both hands, Ed put the flashlight in his mouth. He pulled his prize from the cabinet, holding it up to the light and allowing himself a few moments to marvel at the way it sparkled.

Retracing his steps back to the front door, he checked the peep hole to make sure the coast was still clear. Ed slipped from the apartment just as quietly as he had entered. Heading away from the parking lot towards the small wooded area behind the complex, he slipped into the woods completely unnoticed.

* * *

"So do you two have any plans for the evening?"

"No, just a quiet night... maybe some movies." Carol said.

Maggie smiled at Carol as they wandered the aisles of the Buy More, making sure the store was straightened up enough before they headed out for the night.  
Bumping her hip against Carol's she said, "Don't think I have ever seen you this happy." Maggie grinned at her, "You seem to be really liking this guy."

"I do," Carol nodded, "He makes me feel so wonderful. It's a complete one-eighty from how things were with Ed."

"You sleep with him yet?"

"Maggie!" Carol blushed furiously, shaking her head. She shouldn't have been so surprised. Maggie had absolutely no filter when it came to some things.

"What?" Maggie shrugged, "I slept with Glenn on our second date."

Carol turned her head away from Maggie, muttering under her breath.

Maggie grabbed her shoulders, turning Carol around to face her. "Wait, what did you say?" She gave her shoulders a rough shake.

Carol laughed, escaping from Maggie's grip she pulled away, averting her eyes, "I said," Carol paused as she could feel the heat from the blush returning. Lifting her eyes back to Maggie's, "First date."

"Holy crap!" Maggie's eyes were wide, her mouth hung open in shock slowly, a huge grin spread across her face as she nodded her head at Carol, "Was it good?"

Carol rolled her eyes at Maggie, walking further down the aisle, "I am not having this conversation with you," Carol called over her shoulder as she rounded the corner onto the next aisle.

* * *

Waving bye as Maggie climbed into her boyfriend Glenn's car, Carol made her way across the parking lot/ Her eyes were on the blue pickup, or more importantly the man leaning against the driver's door smoking a cigarette. Carol added a little extra sway to her hips as she made her way towards Daryl, a smile playing at her lips as her eyes glinted with a bit of mischief.

"Good evening Mr. Dixon." Carol said, coming to a stop just a foot or so away from Daryl.

Daryl licked his lips as he watched Carol coming towards him, his eyes drawn to the swish of her hips in the khaki skirt that hugged her body so well. He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off that damn skirt since she came out of her bedroom this afternoon.

"Evening Ma'am," He drawled, making no moves to conceal the fact that his eyes were traveling all over her, starting at her legs and slowly making his way back to her face.

Crushing the cigarette on the heel of his boot, Daryl moved into Carol's space so quickly that she would have missed it had she blinked. He made no moves to touch her and Carol found herself leaning towards him, his scent surrounding her. He smelled like a faint mixture of his cologne and motor oil and she breathed in deep, unable to help herself.

Daryl chuckled, bringing his nose to the juncture where her neck and shoulder met. He trailed his nose slowly up her neck following the soft curve of her jaw and his hands shot out at the last moment landing on her hips, tugging her to him completely.

Carol was so lost in his soft touch and smell that she let out a gasp of surprise when she felt his hands clamp onto her hips and herself being pulled to his chest. His lips descended on hers. Carol moaned when she felt the tip of his tongue tracing the seam of her lips and she granted him access, her own tongue tangling with his as her hands tangled in his hair.

When the need for air became too much they broke apart, both of them panting slightly. Carol let out a giggle as she stroked the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Miss me?" She whispered.

Nodding, Daryl led her around to the passenger side, opening the door for her. He leaned in for a quick kiss once she was settled in. Climbing into the drivers side, Daryl started the truck. Pulling out of the parking lot they fell into a comfortable conversation about each others day, both of them trying to tease the other. By the time the headlights shone on the sign for the entrance to the apartment complex, Daryl was thoroughly worked up and he was seriously considering talking Carol into going straight to bed.

"What the hell..." Daryl muttered.

Carol leaned forward in her seat. The normally dark parking lot in front of her building was all aglow with the flashes of red and blue lights from several police cars. Pulling the truck into the nearest spot, Daryl quickly got out of the vehicle. Meeting Carol at the back of the truck, he grabbed her hand as they made their way to the small crowd of residents that were standing in the courtyard.

**Alright...be gentle...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Good Evening! Look who has an update for all you lovely people! I hope y'all like this one it was hard for me to get out but I like the way it turned out. My biggest thanks to HaloHunter89 she is the one that helped me work through the rough spots in this chapter and made if flow together way better than I though it was going too. And EnglishPoet18 who still reviews my work for me :) She says I am getting better, so yay! to me I deserve a cookie. **

**Enjoy! **

The yellow police tape was still strung all around the courtyard and now only two squad cars still remained in the parking lot. Rick and Shane were still taking statements from all those who said they were home at the time of the break in. From the bits that Daryl had overheard though, it seemed that no one had really seen or heard anything.

Catching Rick's attention, Daryl nodded towards where Carol stood off with Mrs. Wilson, letting Rick know to come find him there when the man had a chance.

"My Charlie gave me that necklace!"

Carol rubbed the woman's back, murmuring words of comfort, but nothing seemed to be calming her down. Trying as hard as she might Mrs. Wilson wasn't going to calm down for anything it seemed. Carol grimaced when the woman collapsed against her chest. For being such an elderly and tiny woman, her grip was strong. A fresh wave of sobs began wracking her tiny frame.

"It's gonna be fine," Carol soothed, "The police will find it, I am sure of it."

Daryl caught the look Carol was giving him as he approached the two women and he could tell she was struggling to hold up the older woman. Gently he nudged Carol out of the way allowing Mrs. Wilson to rest against him instead. Slowly he led the women over to a chair on the pool patio and turning her body, he urged her to have a seat. Kneeling down, Daryl took the old woman's hand. Giving her a soft smile, he waited till her cries slowed to nothing more than sniffs and hiccups.

"Rick 'n Shane," Daryl said, nodding towards the two uniformed men, "Are gonna find ya who did this. Trust me."

Shaking her head, fresh tears began to well in the corner of her eyes again, "Someone needs to call the F.B.I. Those boys, they don't know how to handle this." She protested.

Daryl couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped, but he did manage to turn his head so she wouldn't see the smile that came with it.

"They are good at their job. Known Rick a while now; he's a good cop."

Mrs. Wilson opened her mouth to argue against what Daryl had said, but she was stopped by the approach of the two officers in question. Shane quickly jumped in and offered to escort the woman home and make sure the place was locked up tight for the night.

Rick waited till Mrs. Wilson was out of ear shot before he spoke, "Woman's a handful, isn't she?"

"You have no idea," Both Daryl and Carol responded, smiling at one another.

* * *

He really had no intention of returning, the fear of getting caught simply by being present was too much. But the longer he stood hidden in the crowd, the more thrilling the whole thing became. Standing there in the back of the crowd wasn't doing it for him anymore. He needed to be closer, wanting to hear what was being said. Pulling his baseball cap down, he weaved his way closer to the police tape and the two officers standing there.

"We're not finding anything."

"Fingerprints?"

The dark haired officer shook his head, "No forced entry, and nothing else taken." He chuckled, "Think this might just be a case of a senior moment."

Ed wasn't liking what he was hearing. The cops weren't buying the robbery and he saw his whole plan slowly going down the drain. He thought this would be just a one time thing, but now he was realizing he would have to do it again, and this time he would have to be messier. The idea of having to go at it again was both strangely thrilling and terrifying at the same time. The rush he was getting from the whole experience was shocking to say the least, but it was also better than any rush he had gotten from any type of drug or alcohol he has had in the past.

The slamming of a car door brought his attention back to the scene. He couldn't hold back the growl that escaped when he saw Daryl making his way through the crowd with Carol in tow. He watched as they made their way towards the two cops, Daryl's arm wrapped around Carol's waist. As they spoke with the cops the dark haired one led Carol over to the old woman who latched on to her the moment she got close enough.

Melting further back into the crowd, Ed didn't want to chance either one of them recognizing him. All too soon though the crowd of people was beginning to thin out. People were heading back to their apartments and soon he realized he would have no where to hide. Slipping between two of the buildings, he moved quickly coming around closer to where Carol stood with the old woman. He watched as one of the cops escorted her away, telling her they would make sure her apartment was safe for the night.

Ed grimaced when he saw Carol wrap her arms around Daryl's neck and lean in for a kiss. He wasn't going to stand here and watch this disgusting display, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from them.

"I'm gonna walk Carol home," Daryl said. "You gonna stick around for a minute?"

Rick nodded, holding out his hand to Carol, "It was nice to finally meet ya."

Carol smiled, "It was nice to meet you too, Rick."

Ed watched as they headed off in the direction of her apartment before he even realized he was following them. He didn't know that Dixon was even friends with the cops. That certainly changed some things. He smiled as a new idea began to form.

* * *

"So they really think she wasn't robbed, at all?" Carol asked.

Daryl shook his head. He had been surprised when Rick offered up the information as Daryl was walking him back to his car. No forced entry, no fingerprints and nothing else taken from the woman's apartment, and no witnesses all pointed to no crime having been committed. All of the officers including Rick, all pretty much thought the same thing: she misplaced the necklace, her old age getting the better of her, and now that she noticed it was missing she thought it had been stolen.

"Rick says they will still keep an eye out and let the pawn shops know to be on the look out."

Carol nodded from her place at the stove. Giving the pot a final stir, she stretched her arms up over her head lifting up on to the balls of her feet, her back arched slightly. Coming out of her stretch, she was surprised to realize Daryl was standing behind her. She hadn't even heard him move. Leaning her body against his chest, she sighed when she felt his arms come around her waist, his face buried in her neck.

"You alright?" He whispered, placing a soft kiss on her neck. "You're tense."

"Yeah, I just feel bad for Mrs. Wilson. Poor thing."

"Know what might help ya feel better?" Daryl asked, his hands trailing from her waist to her hips in slow lazy circles.

Carol hummed, leaning even more into his chest, her eyelids getting heavy from the soft slow way he was touching her. She gasped when she felt his teeth nip gently at her earlobe.

Pulling away from her, he smirked when he saw her spin around quickly, disappointment written all over her beautiful face,"Where are you going?" She stuttered out.

"Gonna take a shower," Daryl said, "Wanna join me?"

Without missing a beat Carol whipped her shirt over her head, tossing it at Daryl as she ran down the hall towards the bathroom. She squealed when Daryl caught her just outside the bathroom door, catching her lips in a kiss that left her panting. Twisting the knob they both tumbled into the bathroom and with a growl Daryl kicked the bathroom door shut.

**So before you all freak out...the next chapter MAY be going in the direction you all are hoping for, that is if you all want it to I could always just skip over it. Though I am pretty sure Ace might come at me with a pitchfork if I do LOL. Review?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey! This took a little longer than I had hoped to get out. Mostly because I got a promotion at work :) and I have been having everyone want to take me out to celebrate. Ace proofed this, this morning for me so I rushed home from work to post it for y'all. **

**Hopefully this chapter more than makes up for the wait ;) EnglishPoet18 was the one to give me the idea (lots of yummy ideas) for this chapter so she is the one to thank if you like it.**

With hungry eyes, Daryl watched as Carol wrapped her towel around herself cutting off his view of her. That ten minute shower had been the longest of Daryl's life. He had thought he knew what would be happening when they both climbed into the shower, but it seemed Carol had other plans. She barely let him touch her, moving just out of his grasp each time he tried. Instead he watched as she washed herself. He was pretty sure she was putting on a show for him, spending a little more time on all the areas he wanted to be touching using her hands instead of that purple loofah she loved so much.

Wrapping a towel around his own waist, Daryl was thoroughly on edge and he wasn't sure how much more of her teasing he could take. He needed to get out of the bathroom before he snapped. Turning his body to slide behind Carol, his eyes narrowed when he caught the gleam in her eyes - it was a look he had seen before. Daryl groaned when Carol took a small step back causing Daryl's front to brush against her back.

Daryl's arms shot out, banding around her waist as he pulled her flush against him. Dipping his head, Daryl rained soft kisses across her shoulder, latching on to the soft skin where her shoulder and neck met. Carol whimpered when he nipped at the skin there, her whimper shooting start to his groin. Suddenly Carol spun out of his grasp, his head swiveling to keep her in his gaze. She braced herself against the bathroom door, a soft giggle escaping from her as she teased him.

"You get a head start," Daryl growled at her. "So you best run because once I leave this bathroom you better be ready."

Carol laughed until she saw the look in his eyes that said he was done with the teasing. Twisting the knob, Carol fled the bathroom. She could hear Daryl behind her almost immediately. Catching her around the waist in the hallway, Carol gasped as Daryl spun her around her back against the wall, his body nearly flush to her front. He had her pinned against the wall with nothing between them but their towels.

Daryl covered her mouth with his own. Carol's response was immediate and electric in its intensity. She gave a soft husky little moan, her arms traveling up his and wrapping around his shoulders. The sense of urgency that swept through Daryl made his blood pound. He had some vague goal of carrying her back down the hallway to the bedroom, but it seemed so far away. The kitchen was suddenly much closer.

Daryl grabbed Carol's ass, lifting her as she wound her legs around his waist, his towel falling away as he moved. He walked her into the kitchen, leaning against the kitchen counter as his lips continued their assault on hers. His hands were busy removing the barrier between him and her soft skin. Breaking the kiss, both of them panted, Daryl's gaze going to her breasts. They were the most beautiful breasts he had ever seen. Their shape and size were just perfect for him. He bent his head and drew one nipple gently between his lips, letting her feel the edge of his teeth. He felt her back arch slightly, her sharp intake of breath as her head tipped back, knocking against the cabinets.

"Don't stop!" Carol moaned.

Dropping to his knees, Daryl chuckled. Parting her thighs, he ran his hands over the silken flesh, his touch whisper soft. She was already so wet for him. Raining soft kisses down her center until Carol began to squirm, it was only then that he latched on to her clit, gently sucking at the swollen nub of flesh.

"_Daryl," _Her hands clenched in his hair.

He parted her with his fingers and kissed her intimately, taking in the scent and taste of her body. When he heard her suck in a breath, he eased a finger into her working her gently, searching for that magic spot.

He knew when he found it.

Carol gave a soft, half startled, half strangled shriek, her walls tightening around him. Her climax took both of them by surprise as it flooded through her. Daryl could feel the gentle contractions of her body. _Tight, always so damn tight,_ he thought.

Daryl stood, taking in his work. Carol was flushed, her chest still heaving from her orgasm. She was absolutely beautiful. Wrapping his hands around the backs of her knees, he pulled her flush against him. He groaned when she began to grind against his pelvis.

It was unfortunate that the counter tops were a bit too high because he would love nothing more than to fuck her right there. Sliding his hands down her thighs, he cupped her ass. Lifting her up, Carol's legs immediately wrapped around his waist, her mouth latching on to his neck nipping, sucking, kissing her way up towards his ear.

Pausing, Daryl surveyed the kitchen trying to decide the best place to continue. He grinned wickedly when his eyes landed on the kitchen chair. Hooking the chair with his foot he pulled it out. Keeping his grip tight he spun them around, lowering himself into the chair.

Both feet planted on the ground, he spread his legs slightly letting Carol feel how hard he was for her. Carol shuddered as she settled in his lap, burying her face in his shoulder while she rolled her hips. Grinding slowly against his hard length, she coated his cock in the slick wetness from her orgasm.

Tossing his head back, Daryl groaned, "God, Carol I want you so much." His voice was ragged with need.

Grasping her hips, Daryl stopped her movements. He held her still, needing a moment to collect himself before he lost it completely. Carol whimpered, wiggling her hips and trying to break his hold on her. She was desperate for him.

"Don't wait. Please don't make me wait," Carol cried.

Tilting her hips to the right angle, Daryl plunged into her, both of them screaming out at the rush of sensation that ripped through them. He shouted her name and drove deeper, the chair swaying slightly from their actions.

Carol threw her head back and clutched at Daryl's shoulders as her release began to sizzle inside her, the fire building until the flames burst through her body. She watched as Daryl's eyes rolled back in his head, his body beginning to convulse against hers. She screamed his name and he caught her shout with a kiss as the last of the tremors vibrated through both of them.

* * *

The shrill sound of the telephone woke Daryl from his restful sleep. Rolling over, he slapped his hand around on the side table in search of his phone. He stopped his search when the ringing ceased and he heard Carol's sleep laced voice rasp out a hello.

"Yes, I was still sleeping...It's alright...No I am off today."

Daryl flopped on to his back, an arm thrown over his eyes as he listened to Carol have a conversation with whomever it was that was calling so damn early. He was still tired from last night and he knew Carol had to be too. He was more than okay with sleeping the rest of the morning away with Carol in his arms.

"I will have to ask him. My car is in the shop," Carol said.

Lifting his arm from his eyes, Daryl leaned up on his elbow. Looking over at Carol, he raised an eyebrow at her. Carol shook her head, mouthing _Mrs. Wilson._ Daryl groaned as he dropped back onto the bed. He didn't know what the old woman wanted, but whatever it was he was pretty damn sure it involved ruining his morning.

Holding the phone away from her mouth Carol leaned over him, running her fingers through his hair.

"Can I borrow the truck for a bit today?"

Nodding, Daryl sighed as Carol continued running her fingers through his hair. The rest of the conversation went completely unheard by him as he just focused on her fingers and how good such a simple action felt.

Carol pressed herself against Daryl, a smile on her face as she watched his eyes flutter open. Leaning down, she pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Good Morning," She whispered.

"Mornin," He whispered back, pulling her down and tucking her into his side. "What did she want?"

Carol sighed, "A ride to run some errands. She doesn't feel safe by herself right now."

Daryl couldn't help the muttered string of curses that let loose from his mouth, causing Carol to stifle a giggle. Looking at her through narrowed eyes, he huffed out a breath as Carol turned her lips up, peppering his chin and jaw with soft kisses.

"It shouldn't take long. Besides, if you're good then maybe I'll buy you a present while I'm out," Carol said.

Daryl smirked, "I'm always good." He let his eyes run up and down her body, reminding her of last night's activities.

Carol blushed, "Yes. Yes, you are."

**So was it worth the wait? Have a great afternoon/night! **


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